David Goyer's 'Krypton' TV Series Coming to SyFy

The rumors were true. The Dark Knight and Man of Steel screenwriter David Goyer is developing a Superman origin TV series called Krypton, and it will air on SyFy.  Turns out the news revealed today is pretty much everything we already knew, with only a few tiny details.

The series will take place long before Kal-El is ever born and sent to Earth to become Superman. It will even precede his father, Jor-El (last played by Russell Crowe in Man of Steel), and instead follow his grandfather during a time when the House of El was shamed and ostracized. The story will center on his efforts to transform Krypton into a planet worthy of birthing the greatest superhero ever.

Goyer will exec-produce with Ian Goldberg (Once Upon a Time) writing the screenplay. Add this to the growing list of DC Comics adaptations for the small screen, and another prequel following on the heels of Gotham.  There's also a Supergirl series headed to CBS from the same people who gave us Arrow and The Flash. [THR]

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David Goyer Rumored to be Developing 'Krypton' TV Series

We've already got a Batman prequel TV series in Gotham, and considering how much of a ratings success it has been there's no surprise Warner Bros. may be looking for more. Bleeding Cool is reporting that DC guru and Man of Steel writer David Goyer is involved in a new TV series titled Krypton. Guess who that's about?

There isn't much in the way of details; actually, there are no details except to say that Goyer is attached somehow. Just going by the title we can assume it will be another story of Superman's origin, except it will be set on his home planet of Krypton and presumably not feature the Man of Steel at all since he shouldn't even be born at that time. But would it be surprising it the show followed his parents and others in the House of El? Goyer wrote the Man of Steel script which gave us a look at Kryptonian society, and it was one of the best parts of the film in my opinion. It may be he's got bigger ideas that there won't be time to explore in Superman's upcoming movies.

So we'll see if this rumor turns out to be true. Bleeding Cool was spot-on in their stories about a Supergirl TV show, not to mention their reporting on an X-men series. Goyer is currently serving as exec-producer on NBC's Constantine.

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Natalie Dormer Enters 'The Forest'; Sean Bean Joins 'The Martian'

The gorgeous Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) continues her climb up the big-screen ladder by taking the lead in The Forest, based on an original concept by David Goyer. Directed by Jason Zada with a script co-written by Sarah Cornwell and Nick Antosca, the psychological follows a young woman named Sara who enters the famous Aokigahara Forest (aka the Suicide Forest) at the based of Mt. Fuji to find her missing twin sister. Despite warning to "stay on the path", she must contend with the angry tormented souls that prey on those who enter. Dormer will be seen next in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. The Forest will open on January 8th 2016.

Sean Bean, formerly of HBO's Game of Thrones and now starring in the TNT series, Legends, has joined Ridley Scott's The Martian. He'll play a NASA flight director in the film which stars Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars and must survive long enough to find a way home. Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, and Jeff Daniels co-star.

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David Goyer Goes On A 'Fantastic Voyage' with James Cameron

In the works for years and considered something of a passion project for James Cameron, Fantastic Voyage has been so far underwater nobody has heard anything about it in months. At one time the film seemed to be moving forward with Shawn Levy at the helm and a cast that would have included Will Smith and Hugh Jackman, but nothing happened as a slew of writers failed to crack the script. Now the project is back on and fast-tracked by 20th Century Fox as David Goyer has come aboard to pen the latest screenplay.

As if the Dark Knight trilogy and Man of Steel writer isn't busy enough with Batman vs. Superman, Goyer will now write a treatment for Fantastic Voyage, a remake of the silly 1966 sci-fi film about a team of scientists shrunk down in a submarine and sent inside the body of a sick colleague. Fox hopes Goyer's involvement will launch what they expect to be a major event film, likely to be in 3D.

We'll see if Goyer, who also wrote Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sandman, can get this project moving finally. [THR]

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It's Official: Zack Snyder to Direct 'Justice League' After 'Batman vs. Superman'

The open secret around the comic book movie circle has been that Warner Bros. is planning a Justice League movie directed by Zack Snyder, and if they were trying to keep that secret they more than gave it away with Batman vs. Superman's casting. The rumors really kicked into overdrive last summer, but the studio has never officially said anything concrete about it until now, and along with it come some new details.

Warner Bros. has made it official to The Wall Street Journal that Justice League is indeed happening, and that Snyder is the guy who will be at the helm. Not really a surprise there since it has been his singular vision driving these films, and it will be interesting to see where that goes in the future. As the Batman vs. Superman casting has pretty much given away, the 2016 film will bridge right into Justice League....

“It will be a further expansion of this universe,” said Greg Silverman, president of worldwide production for WB. “’Superman vs Batman’ will lead into ‘Justice League.’”

The script, initially undertaken by Will Beall (Gangster Squad) before David Goyer took over, is still unfinished. There also seems to be some question on the release date. The WSJ report says 2018 is the target, but THR is saying 2017. Latino Review narrows it down to May 5th 2017, and since they were apparently correct in predicting Snyder would direct it back-to-back with Batman vs. Superman it may be a good idea to trust in their sources.

Whether it turns out to be '17 or '18, that should leave time for another film to be squeezed in. Around the time of last year's Comic-Con word spread that a Flash movie was on the way. Dwayne Johnson has been boasting about a DC project he's got coming up, which is presumed to be a Lobo film.

Also of note in WSJ's story is this about other DC Comics movies in development...

Warner Bros. has several other movies in development unconnected to the Justice League that are based on DC superheroes and fantasy and crime titles from its Vertigo line of genre comics, said Mr. Silverman and Toby Emmerich, president of Warner’s New Line Cinema label. They include “Shazam,” “Metal Men,” “100 Bullets,” and “Fables.”

Fables has been in development for years, and was once going to be a TV series until Once Upon a Time stole its thunder. Shazam has also been a rumored project, which at one time had none other than Dwayne Johnson pegged for the role of villain, Black Adam.  We'll see where any of these films go, but I'd be surprised if Shazam is truly "unconnected" from the Justice League.

Thoughts? Are you hyped for a Justice League movie directed by Snyder?

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David Goyer Bringing Vertigo's FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics to the Big Screen

David Goyer may be the man at the center of Warner Bros.' superhero universe, but he's also using that position to adapt DC titles that are on the fringes. He's already helping Joseph Gordon-Levitt on a screen version of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and now he's bringing Vertigo Comics' popular  FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics to theaters.

Goyer is producing an adaptation of the ongoing comics series by Simon Oliver and Robbi Rodriguez, with Justin Marks working on the screenplay. Goyer and Marks have been developing the Green Arrow film, Escape from Super Max, for years without anything really happening with it. He also penned the screenplay for Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad film that never happened. Marks is also coming off scripting Jon Favreau's version of The Jungle Book.

FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics takes place in a near future when the fabric of space-time has been distorted and quantum disturbances have become a way of life. The FBP is a team of experts in the field of quantum physics put together to try and deal with the fallout. The focus is on a single agent, the brash Adam Hardy, as he ventures to an alternate dimension known as the "Bubbleverse" for a unique rescue mission.

FBP is arguably the hottest books Vertigo is currently publishing, so it was only a matter of time before it was targeted for a film. Hopefully this one moves faster than the forever-developing adaptation of Y: The Last Man.  [Deadline]

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Matt Ryan to Lead NBC's 'Constantine' Pilot

Marvel may have a stranglehold on the big screen, but DC Comics is owning TV right now. Deadline reports that Welsh actor Matt Ryan (Flypaper) will take the lead role of John Constantine in NBC's upcoming Constantine pilot developed by David Goyer.

Goyer and Daniel Cerone will pen the script, following the adventures of John Constantine, an irreverent chain-smoking detective of the supernatural realm, who reluctantly must defend our world from dark forces. Constantine first appeared in a 1985 issue of Swamp Thing as a creation of writer Alan Moore, then moving on to the long-running Hellblazer series on DC's Vertigo Imprint. The series was cancelled last year after 300 issues and replaced by a new DCU title. Keanu Reeves notably played the character in the 2005 film, Constantine, and despite not being a Brit I thought he handled it pretty well. It's kind of an underrated film, if you ask me.

So add Constantine to DC's expanding TV universe which includes Arrow, Gotham, and The Flash.

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David Goyer to Direct Sci-Fi Thriller 'The Breach'

When he's not busy penning or directing blockbuster comic adaptations, David Goyer is being tapped to lead a number of other projects. Many of these have never come to pass, or are stuck in some form of development limbo, such as his adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo or his live-action Hellsing film. While his plate is no doubt full with Man of Steel 2 and Warner Bros.' plans for a Justice League movie, Goyer is going to take on yet another potential franchise.

According to THR, Goyer has agreed to direct The Breach, based on the first book in Patrick Lee's sci-fi thriller trilogy. Adapted by Justin Rhodes, the story "centers on a corrupt ex-cop who is trying to get his life back in order when he discovers a crashed plane in the Alaska wilderness. The first lady is among those dead in the wreckage. That sets off an adventure featuring a beautiful survivor, assassins, a secret organization, alien technology and an end-of-the-world scenario."

This would be Goyer's first turn behind the camera since 2009's horror, The Unborn. He also directed Blade: Trinity and teen thriller, The Invisible. 

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt will Star and Direct Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman'

Just a few weeks ago a rumor surfaced that David Goyer was the latest to try and adapt Neil Gaiman's seminal comic book series, Sandman, to the big screen. And while that was big news, despite the fact many had been trying for years with no success, what was an even bigger deal was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's involvement as more than just an actor. Now Deadline reports Gordon-Levitt is in talks to not only star but make it his next directorial effort.

Gordon-Levitt confirmed the news on Twitter, saying...

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm incredibly honored to be working with David Goyer, Warner Bros, and @neilhimself on SANDMAN. #Prelude
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) December 17, 2013

It's a pretty big move for JGL, coming off the smallish Don Jon which proved to be something of an indie smash earlier this year. He'll likely take on the role of Dream aka Morpheus, the personification of dreams whose story was chronicled brilliantly in Vertigo Comics' Sandman comic series beginning in 1989. Imprisoned for decades by a cult, Dream escapes and sets about rebuilding his kingdom and learning to evolve. The "prelude" hashtag seems to indicate we'll be exploring Sandman's origin, or perhaps Goyer's story will be based on Preludes & Nocturnes, which focuses on his imprisonment, escape, and quest for powerful lost objects.

If anything, this cements JGL as Warner Bros.' newest golden boy, right up there with Ben Affleck. Can't really blame them, and this is the perfect sort of cool comic book series, with relatively few superheroes hanging around, that fits JGL just as Sin City: A Dame to Kill For should fit him.

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David Goyer Planning DC Comics Films Based on Suicide Squad, Booster Gold, and More

While most of the attention of Warner Bros. superhero films has focused on Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan, the real driving force behind them is David Goyer. He's been a part of numerous comic book adaptations over the years before he was aligned with the studio, penning films based on Marvel's Nick Fury, Blade, and even The Crow. But he's the guy who wrote all of those great Nolan-directed Batman movies and Man of Steel, and every time a new superhero project emerges it's Goyer's name that is attached. And that's why it's no surprise to hear he's connected to Warner Bros' plan for a whole new slate of lower-cost comic book films for 2014.

Marvel unveiled a similar plan a few years years ago to prep less expensive movies using B-list characters, and it's beginning to play out on the small screen rather than the big. That doesn't seem to be the case for WB and DC Entertainment, who according to Bleeding Cool have Goyer working on adaptations of Suicide Squad, Booster Gold, Deathstroke, Team 7, and more. The plan is to have these films budgeted at around $20M, although Suicide Squad could go as high as $40M, which makes sense considering it's the most promising of the bunch. Two of these movies would be released each year, one in the spring and fall, which will make three DC superhero movies a year when including the tentpole films like Batman vs. Superman.

A film based on Suicide Squad was in the works years ago with Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) hired to begin work on a screenplay. It's unclear if this will have be based on his draft or if they'll begin anew chronicling the story of supervillains forced to undertake dangerous missions for the government. The team membership has been a fluid thing over the years, but my favorite version featured Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, and Deadshot, those last two recently appearing on WB's Arrow TV series. They were led, albeit reluctantly, by Amanda Waller who was played by Angela Bassett in the awful Green Lantern movie.

These films were reportedly be part of DC and WB's big announcements for 2014, which hopefully will include definitive word on David Goyer's Justice League.

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David Goyer Says Superman Should Be Able to Kill; Teases 'Justice League' Gig

Zack Snyder's Man of Steel was just what Warner Bros. hoped it would be as the springboard to their future superhero films. Earning over $660M worldwide, the film still had its share of detractors, mostly in regards to the conclusion. The "controversial" ending *SPOILER* saw Henry Cavill's Superman forced to kill his nemesis General Zod when put in a life-or-death situation. The act caused quite an uproar amongst those who believe Superman never kills under any circumstance, and those who feel the opposite. The conversation spread to those within the comic book industry, and it only picked up when it was revealed that Christopher Nolan wasn't a fan of it at first. While speaking at the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture, screenwriter David Goyer defended this decision, and I'll be honest he pretty much echoes my thoughts on the issue.

"We were pretty sure that was going to be controversial. It’s not like we were deluding ourselves, and we weren’t just doing it to be cool. We felt, in the case of Zod, we wanted to put the character in an impossible situation and make an impossible choice.

This is one area, and I’ve written comic books as well and this is where I disagree with some of my fellow comic book writers – ‘Superman doesn’t kill’. It’s a rule that exists outside of the narrative and I just don’t believe in rules like that. I believe when you’re writing film or television, you can’t rely on a crutch or rule that exists outside of the narrative of the film.

So the situation was, Zod says ‘I’m not going to stop until you kill me or I kill you.’ The reality is no prison on the planet could hold him and in our film Superman can’t fly to the moon, and we didn’t want to come up with that crutch."

Ignoring the fact that Superman has killed before, Goyer's point is extremely clear and makes perfect sense. Why should he be subject to an arbitrary rule that has nothing to do with his film? People seem to think that this Superman must be identical to the one we've been reading for decades, but this isn't that Superman. This is Clark Kent as he's becoming Superman, still figuring out who he wants to be and how far he'll go when pushed to the brink. And there seems to be some sort of confusion that just because Superman was forced to kill this time that it somehow means he wanted to kill. As if he's suddenly now this bloodthirsty Superman who will probably snap Batman's neck in the first five minutes of the sequel. I would say those people are playing a game of "Missing the Point Entirely", and don't seem to understand how this makes him a richer, more complex character.

Anyway, Goyer was also asked by THR about Justice League, and if he would be writing the script, as was the rumor some months ago. His response was "Might be, can't say.", meaning he probably won't say anything until Superman vs. Batman is all wrapped up.

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Comic-Con: 'Flash' Movie Coming in 2016; 'Justice League' in 2017

It looks like Marvel is no longer going to have an iron grip on the superhero movie market, as Warner Bros. is taking some major steps to take advantage of Man of Steel's success. With the news that a Superman/Batman team-up film possibly titled World's Finest will be announced today for 2015, we're now expecting word on a Flash film and a firm date for Justice League.

According to THR, Flash is being eyed for 2016, with Justice League tentatively set for 2017. Both films have been in various stages of development for awhile, and the Flash script has been tackled numerous times, including by Man of Steel scribe David Goyer. We've even heard rumors of Charlie Hunnam possibly being the model for the character.

Justice League also has Goyer's involvement, as he took on the script after Will Beal's attempted draft. So it sounds as if Goyer is going to be the mastermind of much of what WB has coming up in the future.

More on this soon.

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Comic-Con: Batman and Superman Team-Up Film to Be Announced

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Warner Bros. panel happening today at Comic-Con, and it's all surrounding the announcement of a Batman and Superman team-up film for 2015. The rumor has been floating around for weeks that they may consider doing a "World's Finest" film, which would pair DC's two greatest heroes together, as a sort of lead-in to a potential Justice League movie. Here's how LA Times reveals the news...

“Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder is expected to reunite with screenwriter David S. Goyer and star Henry Cavill for the new film. It’s unlikely Christian Bale will step back into the bat suit, as the actor has indicated publicly that he has moved on from his days as Bruce Wayne.

“Man of Steel” producer and “Dark Knight” trilogy director Christopher Nolan is expected by some to produce the project, but the exact nature of his involvement is unclear.

It sounds as if this would essentially be Man of Steel 2, which makes perfect sense if WB wants to build their superhero universe. More on this as it develops.

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Christopher Nolan Wasn't Always A Fan Of The 'Man of Steel' Ending, But So What?

In case you haven't noticed, Man of Steel has started a war of opposing viewpoints on just how successful Zack Snyder's relaunch really was. Certainly it's already winning the box office battle, and has spurred Warner Bros. to get moving on a sequel in short order, but that hasn't kept the critics from pointing out its flaws. One particular bone of contention has been with the film's climactic battle between Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon), and the actions the hero is forced to take. In case you haven't guessed, there will be spoilers beyond this point, so proceed at your own risk....

In the final battle, Superman is put in a position where he's forced to kill Zod by snapping his neck like a twig. It's a devastating moment, and we see the impact it has on Superman immediately. But at the same time it left many feeling as if we had just seen something wildly out of character, because Superman supposedly never kills. I don't buy that for a second, and others would argue that Superman has killed Zod and other aliens such as Doomsday(I know he can resurrect himself but that changes nothing) in the past, but still it has led to some heated discussions. In the latest episode of the Empire Podcast, Snyder and screenwriter David Goyer talked about that decision, and revealed that none other than Christopher Nolan was initially one of the scene's most vocal detractors...

Goyer: Killing Zod was a big thing and Chris Nolan, originally, said there’s no way you can do this. That was a change - originally Zod got sucked into the Phantom Zone along with the others and I just felt it was unsatisfying and so did Zack. We started questioning - we talked to some of the people at DC Comics and said, “Do you think there is ever a way that Superman would kill someone?” And at first they said “No way, no way,” and we said, “but what if he didn’t have a choice?” Originally Chris didn’t even want to let us try to write it and Zack and I said, “We think we can figure out a way that youll buy it.”

Snyder went on to add that he felt Superman's "no killing" rule had never been fully explained, and that there needed to be a catalyzing moment for him to come up with such a stance...


Snyder: I guess for me - and in the original version of the script he just got zapped into the Phantom Zone David and I had long talks about it and Chris and I talked long about it and it was like, “I really think we should kill Zod and I really think Superman should kill him. And the why of it was, for me, that if it’s truly an origin story, his aversion to killing is unexplained. It’s just in his DNA. I felt like we needed him to do something, just like him putting on the glasses or going to the Daily Planet or any of the other things that you’re sort of seeing for the first time that you realize will then become his thing. I felt like, if we can find a way of making it impossible for him - like Kobayashi Maru, totally no way out - I felt like that could also make you go, “Okay, this is the why of him not killing ever again, right?” He’s basically obliterated his entire people and his culture and he is responsible for it and he’s just like, “How could I kill ever again?”

Although Nolan was against it, Snyder and Goyer did manage to convince him and the folks at DC Comics of their idea...


Goyer: “I came up with this idea of heat vision and these people about to die, and I wrote the scene, gave it to Chris, and he said, 'Okay you've convinced me.' ”

I've seen some people acting as if Nolan's initial reluctance somehow proves that the scene never should have happened, but that doesn't make any sense. He's no more an authority on Superman than anybody else, and if it isn't obvious by now, there are many different camps with their own ideas who the last son of Krypton is. Leaving behind the fact that Golden Age Superman was more than willing to kill, and that more modern versions have killed other powerful beings in the past, what Man of Steel is doing is presenting a character who has yet to figure out who he wants to be. That's kind of the entire point of it, right? So this Superman now has a death on his hands, and part of his continued evolution will be seeing how that affects him, because he's likely to be put in a similar life-or-death situation again very soon.

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David Goyer Talks the Impact of 'Man of Steel' on 'Justice League', Plus Deleted Scenes

It's been suggested in the past that Zack Snyder and David Goyer's Man of Steel would somehow lead into an "Avengers" style shared cinematic universe. From a creative and financial perspective that would make the most sense if Warner Bros. wants to be on the same playing field as Marvel. That would have to include a Justice League movie at some point in the future, but right now it sounds like it will follow the Man of Steel sequel, which Snyder and Goyer are definitely coming back for.

Our friend Brendon Connelly over at Bleeding Cool caught up with Goyer and he talked about how Man of Steel could be the catalyst for the formation of the Justice League...

David Goyer: It is our intention that, in success, this would be the zero issue and from this point onward, possible films could expand into a shared universe. In our world, the Man of Steel world, Zack has gone on record saying that we’re implying there are other superheroes in this world. But I don’t know that they’ve come forward yet. The idea is that Superman is the first one. There might be people helping people, but not in costumes, and that Superman comes forward and announces himself to the world. In him announcing himself, he’s the one that changes things. 

Bleeding Cool: You’re positing a cause and effect? 

David Goyer: Yes, yes absolutely, in our mind. 

Bleeding Cool: And so now, Bruce Wayne will feel alright in his ears, where he might not have dressed up like that before. Is that the kind of thinking? 

David Goyer: Well, yes… there’s definitely… I don’t want to get too in depth. Obviously, Zack and I have had conversations… but there would be a cause and effect. And that would extend to the collateral damage that happened, and to what other countries feel about the fact Superman calls America his home. Man of Steel doesn’t exist in a vaccum.

Goyer is clearly keeping any information he and Snyder have shared close to the vest, as expected, but it's pretty clear that the two of them have already given it a lot of thought. Whatever those future plans may be, it won't involve Christopher Nolan's version of Batman, as they've previously stated that The Dark Knight trilogy is something completely separate, which means the chances of seeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robin/Batman are pretty slim. 

Goyer also went on to discuss what was ultimately cut out of Man of Steel. He says that it was roughly 75% to 80% of what was in his first draft, but he did make note of two scenes that were cut for various reasons. One that was actually filmed but deleted involved the Kents dealing with baby Kal-El's superhuman senses...

Goyer: There was a little scene in which Jonathan and Martha take a baby Kal to a paediatrician because he’s starting to experience these changes. They do a hearing test on him where they’re dialling up these sounds and baby Kal screams and it blows out all the windows. It was a funny scene but after the armageddon on Krypton – originally we went from that to baby Kal to the fishing trawler – it just felt weird. We didn’t need it. Tonally it felt off.

The other scene, which never made it in front of cameras, involved a show of force in a foreign land by Kryptonians Faora (Antje Traue) and the gigantic NamEk...

Goyer: Believe it or not there was another action scene – we didn’t film it. After Zod first announces himself [the Krpytonians] provide a demonstration of their might. They drop Faora into Shanghai and NamEk, who is the big eight foot tall guy who doesn’t speak, they drop him another foreign city.
It was another five pages of crazy Kryptonian destruction. We didn’t need it. We knew that, my god, there’s already a lot of action.

Probably a wise decision. The first battle with Faora and NamEk is a stunner, largely because we weren't expecting that level of devastation. To foreshadow it probably would have ruined its shock value.

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David Goyer Says 'Man of Steel' Hints at Justice League Member Cyborg

Man of Steel doesn't open for another couple of days, but Warner Bros. is feeling gutsy enough to already green light the sequel. The decision pretty much bumps Justice League off the radar for another couple of years, but opens up a wealth of other possibilities. Along with giving Superman wider berth to evolve as a cinematic character, it offers the chance to introduce other heroes and lay the foundation for a shared superhero universe. Fans will want to watch Man of Steel closely for a couple of early attempts at doing just that (keep an eye on the buildings and spy satellites), but there's one reference that many will probably glance right over.

Screenwriter David Goyer, who also worked on Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, says that a comment in the film is basically a tease for the hero known as Cyborg, a prominent member of the Justice League...

Goyer: "We mentioned S.T.A.R. Labs at one point, that's kind of a connection to Cyborg."

Cyborg was primarily known as a member of the Teen Titans, who were sort of like the New Mutants to Marvel's X-men. Thanks to some recent continuity tweaking over DC Comics, Cyborg is now considered one of the Justice League's founding members, standing beside Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman. S.T.A.R. Labs is responsible for the experiment that caused his body to be destroyed, leading to his rebirth as a cybernetic hero.

Merely hinting at the presence of Cyborg suggests that Warner Bros. is already looking at ways to expand their universe, and fit other heroes into this new world Superman inhabits. What's also clear is that the Batman of Nolan's trilogy doesn't fit into any future plans....

Goyer: "The 'Dark Knight' films do not exist in the same universe [as 'Man of Steel']. Zack [Snyder] has gone on record. The fact that we have Wayne Industries on the satellite, Bruce Wayne exists in this universe. Lex Luthor exists in this universe. Other metahumans do exist in this universe, so the hope is, depending on how the film does, that we'll be able to roll into some other films."

Perhaps in Man of Steel 2 we'll see a reference to Guillermo Del Toro's Justice League Dark?  [MTV]

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'Man of Steel' Sequel Fast Tracked with Zack Snyder and David Goyer Returning

It's the sign of ultimate confidence when a studio begins prepping a sequel before the first film even opens. With Man of Steel days away from what's expected to be a monster debut, Warner Bros. hasn't just green lit a sequel, they've gone ahead and made sure it arrives faster than a speeding bullet.

The report out of Deadline says that Zack Snyder will be brought back to direct the follow-up, which is being fast-tracked with David Goyer returning to pen the script. Christopher Nolan will still be involved as a producer, although he's expected to take a step back and not be quite as involved the next time around.  Henry Cavill will be back, as well, and we knew the studio was fully backing the new star, as they were confident enough to have him replace Tom Cruise in The Man from UNCLE.

So where does this put a Justice League movie? Snyder has been rumored to be handling that as well, but this news will likely push it back a few more years. It had been Snyder's wish to move Superman further along before bringing in other heroes, recently saying "I feel like you need to get Superman a little further down the road before you can do a Justice League movie.... All I’m saying is that you’ve got to get Superman further down the road." A sequel will obviously accomplish that task, and perhaps open the door for other heroes to be introduced before Justice League can become a reality.

Is it too early to start talking villain? Darkseid was the rumor baddie for Justice League back when it was assumed to be next in line, but could the plan be moved up now that Man of Steel 2 is confirmed? On a personal note, I literally just walked out of seeing Man of Steel an hour ago, and I want this sequel to happen like yesterday.

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New Images and a Major 'Man of Steel' Easter Egg Revealed; Zack Snyder Talks Sequels and 'Justice League'

The Man of Steel press junkets have been happening over the weekend, which means that the curtain has been completely lifted on Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan's Superman film. While it's still a couple of weeks away from release, the buzz for months hasn't been so much about the movie itself, but what Warner Bros. do after it? Will they go directly into a sequel, assuming this one is as big a hit as many expect? Or do they finally move forward in bringing all of the DC Comics heroes together for Justice League?

Rumors have suggested that Snyder will be asked to direct Justice League if everything falls into line as the studio hopes, but in a conversation with Collider he says that a Man of Steel sequel would probably need to happen first....

Snyder: "I feel like you need to get Superman a little further down the road before you can do a Justice League movie.... All I’m saying is that you’ve got to get Superman further down the road." 

That certainly sounds like a sequel, and perhaps hints that all of Superman's internal struggles may not be resolved by Man of Steel's conclusion. As for the guy wearing the red & blue costume, Henry Cavill? While he may have been a virtual unknown to many people a year ago, that's definitely not the case anymore, and Warner Bros. has enough confidence in him to hand him the lead in their reboot of The Man from UNCLE. Cavill sounds more than game for jumping ahead into a Justice League film, although he doesn't have any inside information on it....

Cavill:   "Of course I’m open to it, very much open to it, but I have no idea what plans are for that. I’m not privy to that kind of information. I think it would be a lot of fun to explore the character further and a continuing journey, but I know nothing about those plans so far."

If Justice League is going to happen, chances are it won't hit the 2015 target date that has been out there for awhile now. A director has yet to be signed for what will be a massive undertaking, and Will Beal's script was thrown out with David Goyer stepping in to draft a new one. Chances are we're looking at a delay that could stretch into 2016 and beyond, which would leave the door open for Man of Steel 2 arriving first.

Speaking of sequels, there is a major Easter Egg in Man of Steel that could be a sign of things to come. It could be considered a spoiler, so feast on a handful of new images first to decide if it's something you want to know...

Ok? So, Snyder revealed that one of the satellites destroyed by General Zod has the Wayne Enterprises logo on it. Is this as hint of things to come, or just something cool for the eagle-eyed fans out there? Probably more of the latter, but when asked about Superman and Batman being on screen together, Snyder played coy...

Snyder: “I don’t know. Everything is interesting at this point. And don’t forget that Lex is out there, doing who knows what…”

It should be noted that a rumor hinting at Superman and Batman teaming up for a World's Finest movie sprang up back in March. If Justice League does end up getting pushed back significantly, this could be a way of moving Superman "a little further down the road".

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'Justice League' rumors: Christian Bale out, Christopher Nolan in

We got hit with a pretty gigantic rumor yesterday, and like so many of them have recently it involved Warner Bros. flailing attempts to get their superhero house in order.  It went that they were turning to their old pal Christopher Nolan to produce and oversee their entire line, including the developing Justice League film, and that he'd be bringing along Man of Steel director Zack Snyder, with Christian Bale again putting on the Batman suit. Basically, it was nearly everything most fans could have asked for, which makes the news highly suspicious at best.

One of the writers over at Comic Book Movie has tapped into their own source, whoever that may be, who confirms Nolan's involvement, as well as that of Snyder, both as producers. Snyder is still being looked at as possibility to direct if all things go smoothly with Man of Steel.

It looks like Christian Bale is out, though, with plans moving forward to recast Batman in a whole new story. That sounds like no chance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt coming back as Bat-Robin or Nightwing or whatever he would have been called. Will Beall's script is reportedly still in play, even though it was said to have been thrown out and rewritten by David Goyer. The source says "If Bale is coming back and Goyer is penning, it's news to Warner Bros.".

Do I believe this "confirmation" even in the slightest? Not really, no. The story goes on to say that the source is "noticeably uncomfortable" because the film isn't even in pre-production yet, but that apparently hasn't stopped him from babbling about what the plans could be. I still think the Nolan aspect is the most likely to pan out, but not because of anything this latest report has to add.

The gossip is going to keep flying fast and furious until Warner Bros. gets off their butt and comes up with an actual plan, so expect more on this soon.

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Has David Goyer already been hired to pen a 'Man of Steel' sequel?

Warner Bros. has already begun screening Man of Steel to a few lucky folks with great connections, and so far the response has been phenomenal. So much so that they may have begun development on a sequel, with a new rumor saying the film's writer David Goyer has been hired to get crackin' on a script.

This new piece of scuttlebutt comes from Think McFly Think, who say that the studio is still up in the air about their Justice League plans, deciding to fast forward plans for a Superman follow-up instead. The last we'd heard, Justice League was on hold until Man of Steel was a proven hit, which would also give them time to rewrite Will Beall's reportedly "terrible" script.

If any of this is true, and I'm not at all certain of that, it would indicate a severe lack of faith in Justice League being ready by 2015. Or Warner Bros. is actually looking forward for once, rather than flying by the seat of their pants.

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