There are several good reasons why Michael B. Jordan would prove the perfect actor to play Val-Zod, the Black Superman of Earth 2. Beyond being a fan favorite for the role, Jordan has proven adept at playing characters who struggle with living up to a legacy, despite their strength. It is this element that defines Val-Zod and marks him as something unique among the mass of superheroes modeled upon the original Superman, Kal-El of Krypton.
Val-Zod was created by writer Tom Taylor and artists Nicola Scott and Robson Rocha, first appearing in Earth 2 #19, though his full background was not established until several issues later. The son of two political dissidents (one of whom was likely this universe's version of General Zod), Val was adopted into the House of El where he was raised alongside Kal-El and Kara Zor-El before being sent to Earth by his adoptive father, Jor-El. Growing to manhood in a special life- capsule with nothing but the voices of his adoptive parents to comfort him and instruct him as to the power he would possess under a yellow sun, Val-Zod developed severe agoraphobia and a fear of hurting others by accident. These fears were encouraged by Terry Sloan, the billionaire scientist who discovered Val-Zod's ship after it landed on Earth. Val-Zod lived happily in a secret apartment hidden under Arkham Asylum until he was discovered by the heroes of Earth and persuaded to stand against an apparently corrupted Superman.
Rumors of a Superman movie based around a Black incarnation of the character have run rampant over the past few years and Michael B. Jordan's rumored casting has always been popular amongst fans of the franchise and the actor. Recently, it was confirmed that Jordan's production company Outlier Society was developing a Superman series based around Val-Zod for HBO Max. While Jordan is currently only signed onto the series as a producer, a show centered around Val-Zod would prove an ideal outlet for his talents as a performer.
While playing a variety of parts over his career, Jordan's most famous roles have involved playing tough guys with a sensitive side who have some expectation to live up to. Perhaps the best example of this was Jordan's performances as Adonis Johnson in Creed III in addition to starring in it.
Val-Zod faced similar expectations in the comics when he became the second Superman of Earth 2. While his struggles were not the same as Adonis Johnson's, Creed showed Michael B. Jordan's ability to play complex and conflicted characters like Val-Zod. This makes him an ideal candidate to play the character, rather than just producing a show based around the Black Superman of Earth 2.