Michael B. Jordan is set to partner with Warner Bros. as a producer for the revival of DC’s Static Shock.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Jordan will join Reginald Hudlin on the feature project that was first revealed during August’s DC FanDome event. He will produce via Outlier Society, his Warners-based banner….Outlier will be in the creative center of the Static feature and for Jordan, a comic book fan, this is an opportunity for not only for some world-building but to be directly involved in franchise-building. Should the first movie spark a hit, a multi-platform franchise could be born.”
Michael B. Jordan tells the The Hollywood Reporter in an interview, “I’m proud to be a part of building a new universe centered around black superheroes; our community deserves that.” Michael goes on to say, “Outlier Society is committed to bringing to life diverse comic book content across all platforms and we are excited to partner with Reggie and Warner Bros on this initial step.”
Black Power is “cool” now. Out with the slave movies, in with the Black Excellence. Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) directed by Ryan Coogler sparked an unquenchable thirst for afrofuturism and Black Heroes, and it’s great to see a talented and respectable Black man like Michael B. Jordan carrying the torch, striving to expand and empower the growing universe of Black Superheroes.
The Atlanta Black Star reports, “Outlier Society was launched in 2016 as a means to “create opportunities for diverse jobs and stories in Hollywood.” It was the first production company to publicly adopt the inclusion rider, a clause that can be added to contracts of anyone working on a film, and requires that movie’s producers employ a diverse cast and crew.”
“Inclusivity has always been a no-brainer for me, especially as a black man in this business,” Jordan said. “[But] it wasn’t until Frances McDormand spoke the two words that set the industry on fire — inclusion rider — that I realized we could standardize this practice. It allowed me to formally pledge my production company, Outlier Society, to a way of doing business.”
Michael B. Jordan
The History of ‘Static’ aka ‘Static Shock‘
According to Wikipedia, “Static is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Milestone Comics founders Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle. Static’s first appearance was made in Static#1 (June 1993) in the Modern Age of Comic Books, written by McDuffie and Robert L. Washington III, and illustrated by John Paul Leon. Virgil Ovid Hawkins is a member of a fictional subspecies of humans with superhuman abilities known as metahumans. Not born with his powers, Hawkins’ abilities develop after an incident exposes him to a radioactive chemical. This event renders him capable of electromagnetic control and generation.
The character drew much inspiration and was in fact designed to represent a modern-era Spider-Man archetype. After the closing of Milestone Comics, Static was incorporated into the DC Universe and became a member of the Teen Titans. A common misconception is that Hawkins is the son of fellow DC Comics superhero Black Lightning, who debuted much earlier and possesses electrical abilities. Black Lightning addresses the coincidence once in a Justice League narrative. Static has made numerous appearances in other forms of media. The character has been featured in various animated series, including Static Shock, a version of the storyline made slightly more suitable for a younger audience, as well as animated films and video games.”
