*”Bridgerton” star Regé-Jean Page reportedly auditioned for the role of Superman’s grandfather on SyFy’s show “Krypton” — but a DC executive refused to cast a Black actor for the role.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Justice League” star Ray Fisher made the allegation in a new interview. Fisher previously called out director Joss Whedon for his “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behavior on set.
Per the report, the SyFy series “Krypton” follows Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, before the birth of Superman. The show ran from 2018 to 2019. The creators of the series reportedly considered non-white actors for the role. Page auditioned but DC exec Geoff Johns nixed the idea of Superman having a Black grandpa. The role ultimately went to white actor Cameron Cuffe.
Johns’ publicist Howard Bragman told Insider that Johns “never said Superman can’t have a Black ancestor or be Black.”
READ MORE: Regé-Jean Page: Breakout Star of Netflix’s ‘Bridgerton’ Won’t Return for 2nd Season
“There have been diverse versions of Superman throughout the comics for decades so he does and can be diverse,” Bragman wrote in an email.
“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,” he added.
Back in February “Krypton” writer Nadria Tucker tweeted that Johns “tried to tell me what is and is not a Black thing” on set after he objected to a Black female “Krypton” character having different hairstyles.
“I said Black women, we tend to change our hair frequently. It’s not weird, it’s a Black thing,” Tucker told THR. “And he said, ‘No, it’s not.'”
In response to Tucker’s claim, a Johns rep told THR: “What were standard continuity notes for a scene are being spun in a way that are not only personally offensive to Geoff, but to the people that know who he is, know the work he’s done and know the life he lives, as Geoff has personally seen firsthand the painful effects of racial stereotypes concerning hair and other cultural stereotypes, having been married to a Black woman who he was with for a decade and with his second wife, who is Asian American, as well as his son who is mixed race.”
According to THR, the “Krypton” creators also “vetoed the idea” of having the character Adam Strange be gay or bisexual.
Johns rep also denied this, stating that his client “celebrates and supports LGTBQ characters.”
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