Maybe I'm missing something, but the way I'm reading this mammothly quoted Variety blog doesn't lead me to believe that Brandon Routh isn't going to be in the next Superman film, in fact the casting mention of Brandon Routh isn't even to do with a Superman Returns sequel.

As for Bryan Singer, well that seems like conjecture.

First of all let's look at the passage that is causing all the fuss, it comes from a blog on Variety by the Editor, Anne Thompson, she says:

"Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will return to shoot the next Superman movie. (The director is finishing up Tom Cruise's Nazi film Valkyrie, and prepping The Mayor of Castro Street). The next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League. That movie will likely not be shot, however, until after the WGA strike is resolved."

Okay got that? Let's look at the Bryan Singer comment first, Anne Thompson is suggesting that because he has two films to make - there's another film on his slate, You Want Me to Kill Him, but I'm really not sure what state that is in - he won't have the time in his schedule to direct the next Superman film, Superman: Man of Steel, well perhaps that is true, however Valkyrie is coming to a close and am I right in saying that The Mayor of Castro Street is scripted? I think I am.

So put that against an unscripted Superman sequel that won't even begin pre-production until after Justice League of America is complete - after all why clash one Superman with another? Oh, and is Justice League complete on the script front itself? It's certainly scheduled for 2010.

An unscripted film would mean waiting until after the writer's strike and then getting someone who isn't being called from every angle to write a script, and they'll probably be after a top notch writer for this so they most likely will have a string of writing offers.

I actually think that this would probably work out nicely. While Singer works on Mayor of Castro Street, Justice League will be made, play out, and then the next Superman film will be thought of, and that means Bryan Singer could be up with a shot.

However that's not the big one here, it's everyone shouting about Brandon Routh not being in the sequel to Superman.

Let's look at that quote in more detail, and read with me now:

"The next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League."

Did you see what happened there? What film is being mentioned as starring the next Superman? Yes, The Justice League. Where does it mention that Brandon Routh is out of the Superman sequel?

Yes, the next Superman we see will be in Justice League of America and it will not feature Brandon Routh as Superman, just as it will not feature Christian Bale as Batman, we've known that for a very long time.

Latino Review claim that they knew that Routh wouldn't be the next Superman for weeks now. Well if we're talking Justice League didn't we all, and for months? If they really mean Superman then it's way early to be talking about it, but if their rumour is true - and note that this is totally different to the Variety blog article which is talking about Justice League - then the studio are making a big mistake.

I don't care what you think about Routh in Superman, changing the lead again so quickly is a mammoth mistake. Routh was a great replacement for Christopher Reeves, sure he wasn't perfect, but find out what was wrong and fix the character.

Personally I thought it was down to two things, the silly boy storyline and the lack of meat on the frame. Eat some more, work out a bit more with some decent sized weights, and we could see a better Superman.

So where does all this leave us? Actually it means that schedules may mean Bryan Singer might not be able to do a Superman sequel should the film be pressed ahead as soon as Justice League is out of the way. It also means if it isn't then he should be free, if he's asked to do it.

As for Brandon Routh, well he's not playing Superman in Justice League, and as yet there's no news about the next Superman, just this one rumour, the Variety blog article does not state that he's not playing Superman in a Superman Returns (Filmstalker review) sequel.