'Man Of Steel’ Taps Laurence Fishburne As News Chief Perry White

Superman reboot continues casting even after being pushed back to June 2013.

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The Daily Planet has made its latest, greatest hire: Laurence Fishburne will reportedly play Perry White, the long-standing editor in chief of Metropolis’ go-to newspaper, in the Superman reboot“Man of Steel.”

 and other sources report that Fishburne has been cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s hard-charging, occasionally comic-relief-bestowing boss. Warner Bros., however, is not yet making the official announcement, with a rep telling MTV News the studio cannot comment on the reports.

Fishburne is joining a long line of previous Perrys, from Jackie Cooper, who played the newsman in Christopher Reeve’s “Superman” films, to Frank Langella, who stepped into White’s shoes for 2006’s “Superman Returns,” to Michael McKean, who took on a short Perry arc on TV in “Smallville.”

Fishburne becomes the first African-American actor to portray White. He’s also, in one of those odd Hollywood confluences, one of a handful of crime-procedural vets to join “Man of Steel.” After recently departing “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” Fishburne will meet up in the Superman film with Christopher Meloni (the “Law & Order: SVU” vet who is playing a military general) and Harry Lennix (who is also playing a general and once appeared on “Law & Order: LA”). Lennix also starred with Fishburne in the final two “Matrix” films.

The Fishburne casting leaves one prominent Daily Planet post unassigned. Amy Adams is playing reporter Lois Lane, while Henry Cavill is gearing up to become Clark Kent himself. So who will step up to play photographer Jimmy Olsen? Stay tuned, because even though “Man of Steel” has been delayed until June 2013, Warner Bros. isn’t wasting any time putting together the remaining in-front-of-the-camera talent.