Wendell Pierce Cast as Perry White in Superman

Movies

Another Superman mainstay has been cast. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reveals that Wendell Pierce has been cast as Perry White, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, in the movie that was once called Superman: Legacy but is now just called Superman. Pierce was one of the lead actors on the HBO crime series The Wire, and he plays Admiral James Greer on Amazon’s Jack Ryan (a role he would’ve been perfect for, but the show changed the character so much he might as well be someone else; I don’t remember if he was even an admiral). He portrayed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the HBO film Confirmation, and he’s had small parts in some great movies, like Bulworth, Horrible Bosses, and Sleepers (in which he was fantastic). Superman, written and directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet in the lead role, is currently filming and will land in theaters on July 11, 2025.

Confession: I’m not a fan of The Wire. I forced myself to finish the first season, but I found it dull and didn’t like any of the characters, with two exceptions. (It’s hard to argue that Omar isn’t cool.) And I think Jack Ryan, like pretty much every Tom Clancy adaptation after Clear and Present Danger, misunderstands the characters and world of the books (or willfully ignores them to capitalize on popular names). So, I don’t much care for either of Wendell Pierce’s best-known works. And yet, I like Wendell Pierce a lot; he’s good at conveying subtle intelligence, like the cop who knows the lead trio is full of it in Horrible Bosses or the reporter who can’t believe how lucky he and his co-workers are to be following the seemingly gaffe-ridden senator in Bulworth. And I’m sure he’ll be great as Perry White, though not as great as the greatest Perry White of all time, Lane Smith (see the video above). It is a race swap, but I don’t mind this one as much as some of the others they’ve done; I don’t think it’s as important with Perry White, especially if this takes place in modern times, and with, like, 9000 other superheroes running around with Superman, this will probably be a small part anyway. (They didn’t even bother to cast him till after filming began.) I felt the same way when they cast Laurence Fishburne in Man of Steel, in which Perry was also a nothing part. And at least Pierce’s character will be recognizable as Perry White, unlike the suave, tall, athletic “James Olsen” in Supergirl.