The other night, my friend was over and I noticed him watching Superman Returns for the umpteenth time on television. When I made fun of him for watching it again (keep in mind, the two of us have had lengthy discussions regarding Returns, in which we always wind up pointing out what went wrong moreso than what went right), he claimed he was only watching it because it was in HD. (See, the film was playing on one of the three HD movie channels that I currently have at home.) So after I poked fun at him, he went in this direction:

HIM: I could've made a much better Superman flick than Bryan Singer.
ME: Oh yeah?
HIM: Yeah, and in my movie, I'd want you to play Lex Luther.
ME: I don't want to play Lex Luther -- he's an a**hole.
HIM: So then who would you want to play? Actually, that's a good question -- if you could be any superhero or supervillain, who would you choose and why?
ME: You know what, this would make a good Monday Morning Poll.

And so here we are. Following our discussion -- and considering all the hoopla currently circling the Justice League of America movie -- I thought it would be fun to ask readers which superhero or supervillain they'd like to be. Our conversation sort of ended after that -- and I'm not sure why -- so I never got to give an answer. Since I was obsessed with The Incredible Hulk as a kid, I'd probably have to go with him. Sure, he's all conflicted, but girls dig conflicted men. And if someone pissed me off, or tried to assault me, they'd be in a world of hurt. I guess Superman would be cool too, but I don't like the fact that he's stuck on this one girl ... all the time. And at least Bruce Banner is kind of cool, whereas Clark Kent is an idiot.

So, I ask you: If you could be any superhero or supervillain, who would you choose and why?

Though we've known for some time now that Happy Feet director George Miller was circling the live-action Justice League of America movie, Variety is just now reporting that Miller will indeed helm the film. With the threat of a strike looming in the distance like a nasty storm cloud or a drunk ex-girlfriend who has no business being in the same place you are, Warner Bros. is feverishly forging ahead in order to have a big superhero movie for 2009. This summer, Christopher Nolan will debut The Dark Knight, his follow-up to Batman Begins, and since Bryan Singer is busy filming Nazis with Tom Cruise, his follow-up to Superman Returns won't be ready until at least 2010 (if it ever does get off the ground). So, with all that in mind, it's do or die time for Justice League. But will the rushed script, casting and production schedule ultimately hurt the finished product. Um, I'll let you answer that one.

So now that Miller is onboard, our attention immediately turns toward casting. Variety says that Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman will most likely be the primarily characters in the film. For those wondering, both Christian Bale and Brandon Routh will most likely not be involved (and Nolan has already requested that the studio hold off on JLA until his Batman films are done, but apparently that ain't gonna happen). Casting rumors pop up every single day; I believe the latest one has Ryan Gosling playing Batman and Tom Welling playing Superman. However, nothing is official. I've already made it clear how I feel about this film -- that, as cool as it sounds to have a live-action flick featuring all my favorite superheroes, now is just not the time. Especially seeing as it's going to be rushed into production, why not just go the CGI route, or the motion-capture route? Why force this? Nurture this project, protect it; it could be the geeked-up movie event of the decade. I dig Miller, but I'm super scared. What about you?

Apparently neither Christian Bale nor Brandon Routh are doing Warner Bros.' Justice League movie. Does that leave the studio desperate to find replacements? Not according to IESB, which always seems to have the best scoops before everyone else (to paraphrase The Joker: Where do they get these wonderful sources?). The movie site, which also broke the news that Stephen Sommers would direct G.I. Joe, claims Tom Welling is filling the cape of Superman in Justice League. This should be good news to a lot of Smallville fans -- as my comic-obsessed buddy says: "That's who they should have gotten in the first place [for Superman Returns]" -- but it hasn't been confirmed yet, so no celebrating just yet. Still, IESB seems more sure of this rumor than any the site has ever announced. They admit over there that they haven't gotten a reply from Welling's people and that the WB people have denied it, but they're still positive that it is true, because of the sources they've heard it from.

Supermanhomepage.com got an official response from Smallville producer Al Gough, who said this casting "hasn't happened, won't happen, he is under contract to Smallville through Season 8." But IESB has recognized this debunking and still isn't backing down. The site insists Welling has the role and even points out that Smallville may even revolve production around the movie's shoot. As for Bale's replacement, IESB claims to also know who's playing Batman but doesn't have a good enough amount of sources to reveal it. Meanwhile, CHUD has a sarcastic response to the whole thing. The site has a joke post up claiming that Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson (poor guy) have been cast in the movie, the former as Batman and the latter as Superman. The post also brings back the old floater that Jack Black would be Green Lantern. Of course, CHUD is obviously making fun of IESB and wonder if they could get a lot of hits by just making up casting rumors, such as Jamie Bamber as Superman and Gerard Butler as Aquaman. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if IESB's latest, including the tip that Justice League will only be partially motion capture (like every other fantasy movie these days), is true.

Here's a funny story, from Superman fansite, Bluetights.net. A police officer at the Capitol building in Washington recently spotted Mike Dougherty, scripter of Superman Returns and its in-limbo sequel, The Man of Steel, and decided to quiz him on the spot about what exactly is going on with that film. Dougherty claimed to be "shocked" that anyone would actually recognize him on the street, which I kind of understand, but he stood there and took his grilling. Obviously Dougherty wasn't going to tell a cop to buzz off, so he ended up actually spilling some details on the project. First, he seemingly disputes the recent buzz that The Man of Steel is being put on the back burner in favor of a 'Justice League with Superman' film. "He said that they were on track and the goal is still to have the movie out in the summer of 2009. He seemed a little hesitant about it but did his best to try and reassure that it will get done by then," the cop reported.

More specifically, he confirmed to the cop that there were, in fact, two villains for the film. One of those will, of course, be Lex Luthor, so this isn't really news. And I'm in the camp that really wonders if this project will come together at all. I mean, really, who is clamoring for it? The first film was such a lackluster affair that I can't imagine Warner Bros. would want to use the same team to deliver the same thing all over again. Even if there is a deliberate upping of the ante, hasn't the audience sort of given their verdict on this? Let's just move on to something else.

Last week, Ryan speculated that Bryan Singer might be tackling too much and not allowing himself time for a Superman sequel. Well, Superfans rejoice. Singer's gonna do it all. The acclaimed director recently met with Kevin Spacey in New York and confirmed that he is preparing to pitch "Part II" to Warner Brothers. Michael Dougherty is currently writing the screenplay. Dougherty co-wrote Superman Returns, as well as Singer's X2. Singer expects to start filming the sequel after he finishes Valkyrie and The Mayor of Castro Street. Valkyrie is the true-life story about a plot to assassinate Hitler, starring Tom Cruise. Castro Street will be a biopic of gay rights crusader Harvey Milk. So with all this going on, when can we expect more cape n' tights action? Singer is aiming for a 2009 release for the film, which is tentatively titled Superman: Man of Steel. Allow me to suggest an alternate: The Return of Superman Returns.

Spacey intends to shoot his Lex Luthor scenes in a six-week block, as he did for the original movie. He also just joined the cast of Telstar, currently filming in London, which tells the story of 1960s record mogul Joe Meek (played by Con O'Neill). Meek was the "gay, tone deaf songwriter-producer who produced hits including 'Have I the Right,' 'Just Like Eddie,' 'Johnny, Remember Me' and the instrumental 'Telstar.'" Spacey will play Meek's financier, Major Banks. Spacey has been taking on a lot of stage work lately as well-- he just finished work in Moon for the Misbegotten on Broadway, and he will appear in David Mamet's Speed the Plow in April. Spacey's theater love has led to persistent rumors that he will retire from film acting, but he insists that's not the case. "My priorities have changed," says Spacey. "Theater is the No. 1 thing in my life. But I love movies and will continue to make movies when I can." He adds, "In no way did I use the word retirement. Someone else pulled that out of thin air. It's false, there's not a lick of truth to it."

If you're one of the people who enjoyed Bryan Singer's version of the Man of Steel story and were anxiously awaiting his next trip to Metropolis for a sequel to Superman Returns, your wait may have gotten a bit longer. According to Rotten Tomatoes, producing partners Neil Meron and Craig Zadan are moving forward with Singer directing their pet project, a biopic of slain gay right activist Harvey Milk called The Mayor of Castro Street, as soon as Singer finishes with his current film -- the WWII story Valkyrie.

According to them, their film could be Singer's next project, no matter what may have been announced previously. So, what about a Superman sequel? "The next Superman, that's a ways off," claimed Meron, with Zadan adding. "Don't worry about it. Trust me." As for Singer, as we previously reported, he has maintained he would direct the sequel to Superman Returns, currently titled Superman: The Man Of Steel, and that it would be his next project after Valkyrie. But he has also been attached to a Logan's Run remake and has apparently also been attached to The Mayor of Castro Street for two years already.

So, with the director being so busy and apparently being pulled in several directions at once, the question has to be asked: is he going to try and do them all? If so, that's a tall order to be sure and something that would undoubtedly take a great deal of time and effort. Although, with Singer possibly off the Logan's Run remake, that does free up some time in his schedule. Maybe he feels he can now squeeze in the smaller Harvey Milk biopic between Valkyrie and a Superman sequel? Whatever he ends up doing, I just hope he remembers to find some time to sleep.

The more time they go between Superman flicks, the easier it is for people to forget who Brandon Routh is ... or was. IESB recently stopped Routh for a little video interview, and the dude said he's "itching to get back into the suit." The Superman suit, that is. But here's my question: Why wouldn't he be itching to get back into the suit? I don't see anyone else knocking down his door, and all the guy really has going for him right now is the fact that he's the new Superman. Problem with that is, you need to have a Superman film out or in the pipeline in order to be enjoying some decent work. Look, I'm aware the guy is doing a few little indie films here and there, but, for example, it's nothing like the work Daniel Craig is getting in between Bond pictures. So, is Routh really the right guy to talk to about these things?

Naturally, the Justice League movie also came up, and -- guess what -- Routh said he'd be down for that as well. Really? There's a shocker. Of course, Routh knows nothing about the project except that a script has been turned in and Superman is rumored to be involved in some capacity. If he is needed, though, Routh said he'd love to work alongside Christian Bale's Batman. As far as that Man of Steel (aka Superman Returns 2) project goes, Routh said he's currently scheduled to begin working on it early next year. "The sooner, the better," he noted. Exactly. You have to figure at some point those unemployment checks are going to run out. Last thing we need is to show up to some Hollywood restaurant and realize -- holy crap -- Brandon Routh is our waiter!

I'm sorry, but you have to hand it to them Brits for taking a fairly bland rumor and adding to it a whole lot of pizazz. According to The Sun Online (which, right there, means take everything I'm about to say with a ginormous grain of salt), Legendary Pictures (the folks behind Batman Begins, Superman Returns and 300, among others) has pulled the big-screen version of He-Man out of development hell. Not only that, but one inside source claims none other than Brad Pitt is front and center on Legendary's wish list. Says the source, "They are very keen on Brad for the role. He'll have to bulk up though -- he's very fit but not to He-Man proportions." Now if that doesn't sound like a quote that was made up on the spot, then perhaps I can convince you that Cinematical's own Erik Davis is also up for the role.

If Pitt decides not to sign on (that would be a shocker), then The Sun claims Legendary might go after a more realistic target -- that being King Leonidas himself, Gerard Butler. Him, I could kind of see. Pitt, on the other hand, is laughable. Back when Fox 2000 was in charge of the property (they have since ditched the dude and handed him back to Mattel), the potential casting list included names like Paul Walker, Triple H and The Rock. If this story is true, and Legendary really is interested in He-Man, then perhaps that list has been chucked in favor of some names that are guaranteed to bring in the dough. No word on whether screenwriter Adam Rifkin is still attached (last month he claimed the film was still going to be made), but I'm fairly certain John Woo no longer wants anything to do with the hunky blonde superhero. However, I wouldn't be surprised if we hear Zack Snyder's name thrown in the hat. Would you dig He-Man if it went the 300 route? Shooting everything in front of a blue/green screen would definitely cut down the budget and probably make the studio feel more secure in giving the go-ahead.

[via Moviehole]

They keep telling us a Superman Returns sequel is right around the corner, but at the same time director Bryan Singer keeps moving ahead with a different gig. Though he's been attached to The Mayor of Castro Street for two years now, it appears development on the pic has picked up steam after it was revealed that Gus Van Sant had begun work on a similar project. Based on the book by Randy Shilts, Castro Street will tell the real-life story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the U.S. Milk's life was tragically cut short when he -- and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone -- were assassinated by Supervisor Daniel White in 1978.

Variety tells us that Van Sant has attached himself to another Milk-related script; this one was written by Dustin Lance Black (Big Love). That project is set to be shopped around town early next week. At the same time, Warner Independent Prods. is close to a deal with Participant Prods. to co-finance Singer's Castro Street, and Chris McQuarrie (who teamed with Singer on The Usual Suspects and the recent WWII thriller, Valkyrie) will pen the final draft. We all know what happened with the whole "Capote Incident" -- how two pics, Capote and Infamous, hit theaters roughly one year apart with the former gaining a lot more recognition than the latter. Since The Mayor of Castro Street has been in development for 15 years, I assume Singer and Co. will fight tooth and nail to get their Milk story in theaters faster than Van Sant can say, "Got Milk?"

But what about Superman: The Man of Steel? We already know that Singer will helm Valkyrie (with Tom Cruise attached to star) before the Supes sequel (currently scheduled to hit theaters in 2009). Is it possible for him to fit in another film, and still be able to deliver the superhero flick on time? Is Bryan Singer faster than a speeding bullet? I guess we soon shall see ...

Now take this all with a huge grain of salt (why do the majority of my posts begin this way?), because I don't consider Just Jared the greatest movie news source on the planet. You want blurry photos of Cameron Diaz picking her nose in a bikini? Go see Just Jared. Major casting scoop for the next Superman flick? Eh, not so much. Regardless, the celebrity gossip site claims Orlando Bloom was spotted chatting up the sequel with director Bryan Singer and producers Mindy and Jon Peters at the Tower Bar restaurant in Hollywood. Granted, we're not entirely sure that that's what they were talking about -- for all we know, the four could be scouting potential participants for a touch football league. Yet, since Singer and the Peters pair last worked together on Superman Returns, there's a good chance the Man of Steel was on the menu.

So, could Orlando Bloom be interested in jumping from one major franchise to the other? And, if so, who would he play? There's no way I can see the cutesy Bloom playing a villain; Just Jared speculates that Bloom could be up for a part as a new Lois Lane love interest. Yeah, that won't happen. Since there's no chance they're replacing Brandon Routh in the title role, I'm completely baffled. Unless -- dare I say it -- they want him to play Zod. Even if Bloom were to play Zod, he's way too soft for the role. We'll keep you updated on any and all further developments; if it happens, Superman: The Man of Steel (aka Superman Returns 2) is scheduled to fly into theaters in 2009.