Rumors are quickly cir­cu­lat­ing around the inter­net that the two stars of Super­man Returns — Super­man him­self, Bran­don Routh and direc­tor Bryan Singer, will not be return­ing for the sequel. The Vari­ety Blog explained why we may be unlikely to see Bryan Singer tak­ing part in the film:

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).

This is a rumor, and we need to wait for con­fir­ma­tion from stu­dios that this is the case. For now we can hold our breath.

And for a seem­ingly dou­ble blow, Latino Review sug­gested for a moment that Bran­don Routh would also be out. How­ever, the ever faith­ful and reli­able Aint it Cool News entered into the fray to get some reli­able clo­sure on the issue:

I just got off the phone with a very high-ranking mole who is absolutely in a posi­tion to know what’s hap­pen­ing with this film, and he tells me that it is “absolutely false” that Bran­don Routh is out as Super­man for the stand-alone series.

The only thing that has been deter­mined is that JUSTICE LEAGUE will not fea­ture the actors from the other films. That’s it.

Right now, Routh is still Warner’s choice to return if they make another stand-alone SUPERMAN film, and that’s based on con­ver­sa­tions as recently as a few weeks ago.

Don’t believe this one, kids. Routh’s still the Man of Steel.

It seems like the whole crazy rumor orig­i­nated through rum­blings in the Jus­tice League movie camp.