Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the script for the next Superman movie

Ta-Nehisi Coates is working on the script for an upcoming Superman movie from DC Films and Warner Bros. Pictures, as confirmed by the Man of Steel’s shiny logo posted on the author’s Instagram page Friday.

“To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor,� Coates said in a statement to Shadow and Act, which first reported the news. “I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.�

The authors’ fans have started to speculate about casting a Black actor to play the lead.

In comments on Coates’ Instagram post, New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie wrote, “if this means what i think it does...holy s—.�

The acclaimed writer, who cemented his legacy with “The Case for Reparations� as a national correspondent for the Atlantic in 2014, has since written a number of books that interrogate racism in the United States, including the award-winning “Between the World and Me� and, most recently, “The Water Dancer,� his first novel.

He’s also no stranger to the superhero genre, having previously penned comic book series for “Black Panther� and “Captain America� for Marvel.

The film will be produced by Hannah Minghella and J.J. Abrams through the latter’s Bad Robot Productions, which is behind other blockbusters such as “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker� (2019). The project, still in the early stages of development, has no release date.

“There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told,� Abrams told Shadow and Act in a statement. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we’re beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity.�

Coates, who provided testimony to the House on Representatives on a bill to establish a commission to study reparations, has been keeping busy amid the pandemic. Late last year, HBO released an adaptation of “Between the World and Me,� a collaboration based on the 2015 book he wrote as a letter to his teenage son.