Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The Allegations Regé-Jean Page Wasn’t Cast As Superman’s Grandfather Because He’s Black

“The lead was expected to invoke a young Henry Cavill.”

New reports claim that Regé-Jean Page was not cast in a DC superhero project because he’s Black.

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In a piece by the Hollywood Reporter, actor Ray Fisher detailed his experiences of working with DC on the tentpole blockbuster Justice League, having previously accused director Joss Whedon of “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” conduct.

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When concerns were raised by Fisher, as well as others working on the project, Warner Bros. — the studio behind Justice League — conducted an internal investigation but apparently found there to be “no credible support for claims of racial animus” or “insensitivity.”

But it was later alleged in the same piece that Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page had auditioned for a role in DC TV show Krypton, only to be turned down because he was Black.

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Krypton first aired back in 2018 and focused on telling the story of Superman’s grandfather years before the birth of the iconic superhero. The part eventually went to Cameron Cuffe, but it’s reported that Page had been in the running.

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Multiple sources apparently told the Hollywood Reporter that the people behind the show were “passionate about doing some nontraditional casting” but Geoff Johns, former co-chairman of DC Films, apparently turned the idea down because, according to the piece, Superman “could not have a Black grandfather.”

It was also claimed the Johns had vetoed the idea of making a character — Adam Strange — gay or bisexual.

Howard Bragman, a rep for Johns, has since responded, denying the allegations and telling BuzzFeed News, “Geoff never said Superman can’t have a Black ancestor or be Black.”

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“There have been diverse versions of Superman throughout the comics for decades, so he does and can be diverse,” Bragman added.

He went on: “However, the expectation for Krypton was that it would initially be perceived as a possible prequel to Man of Steel by the fans, and the lead was expected to invoke a young Henry Cavill.”

BuzzFeed News has reached out to reps of Page for clarification and comment.

Bragman also shut down accusations that Johns said “I’d rather kill the character than have him be gay” and vetoed a gay or bisexual character in the show, calling the reports “categorically false and horrific” and saying that Johns finds them to be “unbelievably offensive.”

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Bragman also told BuzzFeed News, “Geoff celebrates and supports LGTBQ characters, including Batwoman, who was first reintroduced as LGBTQ in the 52 comic book series in 2006, a series cowritten by Geoff, and then pitched internally to the studio by Geoff as a character to develop a television show around, the first LGBTQ lead DC superhero television series.”