While developers may be excited by new languages, that enthusiasm doesn’t translate to business value.
So no matter how exciting that C alternative may look, it probably will fail.
Trying to “replace” C is like trying to replace the wheel with something more innovative. Sure, you might get something flashier, safer, or more abstracted, but at the end of the day, the raw power, minimalism, and sheer ubiquity of C are unmatched. It’s not just a language — it’s an institution. You don’t replace institutions; you build on top of them, or you live in their shadow.
The designs that last are the ones that get out of the way and just work. You don’t need a language that tries to protect you from yourself — you need one that trusts you to know what the hell you’re doing.
C will still be around when the languages trying to “fix” it are footnotes in the compiler manuals.