I think its very telling that Superman just got his red trunks back and has been selling very well. I think there are some characters that a writer and artist can play around with appearance wise. The way Superman looks is part of his icon status. I’d love to see Calvin Ellis in something or even Val-Zod but not as a replacement the classic character.
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The real question is, what story do you want to tell?
A black or a Latino Clark Kent will have lived a different life. Red Son is a good example of how something like that can be a great idea as an elseworlds story. Superman talks about his background, his family, his hometown. It matters.
You COULD just cast another race in a movie and pretend it’s the same person, but that’s such a wasted opportunity IMO. Go all-in with the concept if you’re gonna do it at all. That Superman will have different stories to tell about where he comes from and what he believes. Hell, he’ll probably solve problems differently too. You can use all of that.
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His ethinicty doesn’t really matter there already was non white supermen in the comics.
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Kal-el is a unique character and shouldn’t be tweaked.
Now val zod, Calvin Ellis, John Henry irons, or icon are all Supermen in their own right, but they are unique to who they are also, keep them all that way
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There are non-white supermen in the multiverse with really awesome stories. In my opinion, what he stands for is what’s most important.
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I remember a meme from a while back casting Daniel Day Kim as Superman and I’d 100% go see that movie.
He was portrayed as Latino in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, but some of his (as well as Batman and Wonder Woman’s) backgrounds were different. Like Zod being his biological father and him being found by a Mexican family near the boarder instead of by a white farmer couple in Kansas.
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Superman’s Ethnicity is Kryptonian, everyone knows this.
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I’m against changing a character in a major way, especially one that has been so established. I wouldn’t want to see a movie about a black Kal-El the same way I wouldn’t an asian Static Shock or a white Vibe. If they want to put Michael B. Jordan or Idris Elba in a similar role I’d live to see an Icon movie.
It isn’t who he is under the cape, but what he does that defines him.
So Mickey mouse can be portrayed by a car then right?
The key ideas that has stuck with Superman over the years, is that he’s an Immigrant. What an Immigrant looks like has changed, since they started putting out comics. That being said, I fear for the life and the Twitter account, of whoever would don the cape. Thoughts and prays, brave space soldier.
Also, geez, Stephens. You really think the difference between human skin colors is as extreme as a Mouse and a Car? Geez, that’s messed up.
Personally, I think it is a slap in the face to whatever ethnicity you"race change" a character. Yes, granted Krptonians also come in all colors but Kal-El was a light (white) skinned one, for whatever reason in 1938. But the best we can do as a society is to race change the character? We cannot come up with something original and respectful and awesome that’s new? That seems like the slap. Not to mix universes here but that’s why Black Panther was such a success. The character spoke to the roots of Africa and the problems that ensued. And showed a possible and empowering future/potential. Please stop race and gender changing characters and honor non-caucasians and all gender identities by CREATING something respectful and amazing that they can relate to, that speaks to their personal struggles and hopes.
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I’m not for changing a character’s race just to make the character more diverse. It shows a lack of creativity from the writers. Instead of creating a new, interesting character that is not the same race as the original, they simply change their color palette and call it good. It’s also not fair to the race that they are trying to please. It’s a slap in the face by saying "We couldn’t come up with a new, interesting character, so we just changed the pre-existing one.
I’m all for different versions. Calvin Ellis of Earth 23, for example, is a great character, not because he’s simply a black Superman, but because he’s a totally different take on the character.
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I have to agree. I feel the seminal as depicted versions should be the only representation. Where does it all end??? “Put down the guns also”. “Albeit in all solitudes law is the way” 
LOL 
There is nothing about the Superman character that matters if he is white or not. He can be portrayed by an actor of any ethnicity. Same with Batman, same with Flash. Nothing about those characters are made and defined because they have white skin.
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Really could care less about the ethnicity so long as the story is solid.
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I love this post. Please proceed with the argument.
Personally I don’t care how he looks [ talking about appearance not about costume and such ] as long as long as the actual story is good. One could even argue that he should be darker skinned because he gets his powers from the sun and it would make scientific sense [ not a argument i personally debate, simply something a friend mentioned ]. In choosing a actor as long as they, y’know, acted well I don’t see why he has to be white. I mean I suppose you would lose the classic black hair and blue eyes [ said blue eyes that are only used sometimes ] but honestly as long as Clark Kent wears glasses and Superman doesn’t you’re still keeping at least a bit of tradition alive. This stands for all superheroes unless it matters to the storyline. [ Ex: Having a well known PoC character who fights for the right of their race suddenly change races ]
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