Variety talks Batman, Superman and Justice League

Anne Thompson over at Variety posted this article last week with some tidbits about what to expect for the future of Superman and Batman on film.

Here’s the best paragraph:

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. Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is that Nolan will return to do another Batman.

There could be no sweeter news than Bryan Singer being entirely out of the Superman business; in case you were wondering, the disgust I feel toward Superman Returns is still alive and well in 2008.

I should probably work on letting that go.

But as I’ve said before, I still feel really bad for poor Brandon Routh, who gave everything he had to the part and took the responsibility of being Superman seriously. I applaud and admire that, and I wish he’d gotten to play Superman in a better movie with a better story.

As for Batman, I’m thrilled to hear that Warner Bros. is “so happy” with The Dark Knight that they realize the good thing they’ve got going with Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale on Batman.

I can’t wait to see what this year brings in terms of superhero movie news.

Or, for that matter, in superhero movies themselves: I’m happy and excited to be within the same calendar year now as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight.

Bring it.

Or them.

You know what I mean.