Over A Decade After Man Of Steel, Laurence Fishburne Reflects On His 'Nontraditional Casting'
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A little over a decade ago, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel soared into theaters, marking the beginning of the DC Extended Universe. The reaction to Snyder’s 2013 take on Superman was ultimately polarizing, though the film has amassed quite a following in the years since its release. Joining former Supes actor Henry Cavill were talented actors like Amy Adams and Michael Shannon. Laurence Fishburne was also a part of that ensemble, playing Daily Planet chief Perry White. Now, years later, Fishburne is taking some time to reflect on his role in the comic book movie.
What Did Laurence Fishburne Say About His Work On Man Of Steel?
It goes without saying that the School Daze star is one of cinema’s most prolific actors. However, it’s also fair to say that he probably wasn’t the first actor that came to mind when it came to Perry White, given that the character had historically been depicted as being Caucasian. Nevertheless, Zack Snyder saw fit to cast the African American actor as the grouchy, yet lovable, newsman. While promoting his 2024 movie release, Slingshot, Laurence Fishburne spoke with THR and reflected on MoS. His sentiments suggest that he has nothing but fondness for his time playing Perry:
That was beautiful. Man of Steel is a wonderful movie. If I’ve been influential in any way in terms of that whole nontraditional casting thing, I love it. That’s great.
His performance as Perry White was mostly well received by fans, and he later reprised the role in 2016’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was defended from critics by the Perry portrayer Ultimately, the A-lister’s tenure as White would end there as, in 2018, he clarified his DCEU future, saying that he didn’t believe he was “still on call.” From there, the Apocalypse Now alum went on to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Dr. Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp and appearing as Foster again via the animated show What If…?
While Laurence Fishburne’s tenure as Perry may have ended somewhat unceremoniously, his work certainly isn’t forgotten. I’m also pleased to see that the 63-year-old actor still takes such pride in having been at the forefront of nontraditional casting in superhero media. Needless to say, his performance as Mr. White was followed by plenty of other creative casting choices.
Other Notable Stars Have Since Played Altered Versions Of Famous Comic Book Characters
Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Berry and more appeared in race-bent roles years before Man of Steel introduced a Black Perry White. Still, one could argue that Laurence Fishburne’s casting ushered in a new era in which producers seemed more willing to cast stars of different ethnicities in traditionally white roles.
On the DC side of this, in 2014 The CW’s The Flash debuted Candice Patton as the titular hero’s love interest, Iris West. Zack Snyder would go in a similar route when tapping Kiersey Clemons to play Iris in Justice League, and she reprised the role in 2023’s The Flash. Of course, Snyder also hired Jason Momoa, who's of Pacific Islander descent to play Aquaman. More recently, Batman: Caped Crusader introduced an Asian Harley Quinn, and Jamie Chung in the role.
As for Marvel, Michael B. Jordan was cast to play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in 2015’s Fantastic Four, while fellow 20th Century Fox production Deadpool 2 featured Zazie Beetz in the role of Domino. One particularly major milestone was the hiring of Zendaya to play Michelle Jones or “MJ” in Marvel Studios and Sony’s Spider-Man trilogy. The actress may not have played Mary Jane proper, but the fact that she still served as a variant of the iconic heroine was still very notable.
To bring all of this full circle, James Gunn’s Superman will also feature a Black iteration of Perry White. Veteran actor Wendell Pierce has been cast in the key role and, thus far, most of the responses to his casting have been positive. So, keeping everything in mind, Laurence Fishburne should be proud for (in some ways) helping to set the tone in this acting arena. Here’s hoping that the beloved star continues to thrive not just in general but within the superhero genre, too.
Man of Steel is available to stream with a Max subscription and, using that same membership, you can stream the DC movies in order. Also, be aware that Superman is set to hit theaters on July 11 as part of the 2025 movie schedule.
