Laurence Fishburne is to play one of the most enduring characters in the Superman canon in upcoming movie reboot.
Actor Laurence Fishburne, who – among other roles – is famous for his role as Morpheus in the Matrix movies, has joined the cast of the new Superman movie, Superman: Man of Steel. Fishburne will play Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet and Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s boss.
With the occasional exception, Perry White is a tough but fair character with incredibly high journalistic standards. He first appeared in the Superman serials of the 40s and 50s, but has since been integrated into the main continuity, appearing in movies, TV shows, and comic books. White has previously been played by the likes of Jackie Cooper in the Superman movies of the 70s and 80s, and Academy Award nominated actor Frank Langella, who played the role in Superman Returns. Fishburne’s castmates include Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, and Diane Lane. Russell Crowe also rumored to be in final negotiations to play the part of Superman’s father, Jor-El.
Unfortunately, despite Fishburne’s not inconsiderable acting skills, there will be people who object to his casting. White has always been depicted as Caucasian in the past, but Fishburne is African-American, something that certain members of the Superman fan community will be unhappy about. Sadly, there is precedent for this kind of negative reaction, as seen recently when people tried to boycott the movie Thor after Idris Elba was cast as the Norse god, Heimdall.
Still, for most people, Fishburne’s casting will be nothing but good news. Man of Steel is being directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, and is scheduled for release in 2013.
Source: Hero Complex
