Christopher Nolan And Superman: Big Questions, Few Answers

It's been a while since the last announcement that simultaneously rocked the comics and movie worlds. "Spider-Man 4" getting canceled was a real downer, so it's nice that this time around the big news involves a project moving forward.

As we told you earlier today, Warner Brothers has reportedly put "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan in charge of the "Superman" movie franchise, with plans for yet another relaunch of the Man of Steel's big-screen adventures. While there's been no official confirmation or response to MTV's calls for comment thus far, the report doesn't seem completely out of line given Nolan's success with the Batman franchise.

So, with that in mind, here are some of the biggest questions surrounding Nolan's potential involvement — and the information that might lead us to some answers.

DOES "THE DARK KNIGHT" MEAN A DARKER MAN OF STEEL?

With all of the success of "The Dark Knight," it's no surprise that talk of bringing other franchises down a "darker" path has become a common theme in the comic book movie conversation. "V For Vendetta" director James McTeigue, who was rumored to be a studio favorite for the next "Superman" film, explained to MTV News back in August 2009 why he felt the franchise needed to go darker when it returned to screens.

However, fans worried by the idea of a grittier, brooding Superman can take heart in the report's note that Nolan is unlikely to direct the film. Having the "Memento" filmmaker in the director's chair would've made an edgier take on the character a relative certainty, but with the position open, it's still anyone's game.

IS A "JUSTICE LEAGUE" MOVIE IN THE WORKS AGAIN?

By now, we've all grown accustomed to (and welcomed) "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau's involvement in much of the over-arching Marvel Studios movie universe. Despite bringing in other directors to helm "Thor" and "The First Avenger: Captain America," Marvel capitalized on Favreau's success with "Iron Man" by bringing him in as an executive producer on "Avengers" and put him in position to guide the rest of the Marvel movie universe toward the big 2012 team-up event "The Avengers."

So is it surprising that two massively successful Batman movies might have Warner Brothers thinking along the same lines with Nolan and a potential team-up of DC heroes?

Back in December, "Sherlock Holmes" producer Dan Lin said the "Justice League" project was shelved while DC figured out a strategy for bringing its characters to the big screen. It's not a big leap in logic to assume that setting Nolan up as caretaker for the DC movie universe could be the first step in that strategy — meaning a "Justice League" movie could be back on the table.

It's also worth noting that the "Green Lantern" movie could provide the studio with its first opportunity to introduce a crossover-friendly universe a la Marvel's cameo-laden movies. "Green Lantern" director Martin Campbell told MTV News that initial plans for a Superman cameo didn't make the cut in the final script, but what about Batman, Flash or other Justice League members?

LEGALLY SPEAKING, WHICH SUPERMAN WILL WE SEE?

Most fans are already well aware of the legal battle between DC Comics/Warner Bros. and the heirs of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. What isn't known, however, is how that legal battle will affect Superman's next appearance on the big screen.

Back in August 2009, the ongoing legal battle gave the Siegel and Shuster estates the rights to certain aspects of the Man of Steel's origin story — specifically, everything related to Kal-El's Kryptonian origins. Since then, DC's toyed with Superman's origin a bit here and there, but twith one of the most well-known origin stories in all of comics, the studio — and Nolan — could face some tough decisions when it comes time to bring their new (possibly darker, possibly more team-up friendly) version of the Man of Steel back to theaters.

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