There has been wildfire reporting about the upcoming DC superhero movies in the last few weeks, with the biggest bit of news being that The Dark Knight team of Chris Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer will be bringing us the Superman reboot, which is currently titled The Man of Steel.

While (most) fanboys have been LOVING that news since it broke, people have also been wondering what's to be done about Batman 3 and how Chris Nolan plans to juggle two superhero properties. Well, Nolan recently broke silence to speak about that very subject (and more), and we have details to share.

SUPERMAN REBOOT

Speaking to LA Times Hero Complex, Chris Nolan talked about the Superman reboot:

“It’s very exciting, we have a fantastic story...And we feel we can do it right. We know the milieu, if you will, we know the genre and how to get it done right...A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us...Each [film] serves to the internal logic of the story. They have nothing to do with each other.”

Apparently, Nolan's passion for a Superman project arose from a moment when he and David Goyer were (ironically enough) kicking around ideas for Batman 3:

“[David] basically told me, ‘I have this thought about how you would approach Superman...I immediately got it, loved it and thought: That is a way of approaching the story I’ve never seen before that makes it incredibly exciting. I wanted to get Emma and I involved in shepherding the project right away and getting it to the studio and getting it going in an exciting way.”

 

brainiac man of steel villain

In our own op-ed piece, "How to Reboot Superman" we touched on the narrative gold mine of Superman having his humanity challenged when an extraterrestrial threat (Brainiac?) comes to Earth, insisting that Superman is Kal-El, an alien, and not the human being (Clark Kent) he pretends to be.

So is that the route Nolan and Goyer are going with the story? The rumor mill has been hinting as much...unfortunately Nolan (in his usual fashion) isn't giving up details. He also wouldn't confirm the rumor that he is consulting on this Superman reboot as a way instilling DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. with the confidence to let Jonathan Nolan direct the film. And no mention of the rumor that Chris will direct a Justice League movie down the line.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

BATMAN 3

Batman 3 Question Mark Logo

From the information provided above, we know that the Nolans and Goyer are kicking around ideas for Batman 3 - but how far along are they? Says Nolan:

“My brother is writing a script for me and we’ll wait to see how it turns out...he’s struggling to put it together into the epic story that you want it to be...Without getting into specifics, the key thing that makes the third film a great possibility for us is that we want to finish our story...And in viewing it as the finishing of a story rather than infinitely blowing up the balloon and expanding the story.”

"Viewing it as an ending, that sets you very much on the right track about the appropriate conclusion and the essence of what tale we’re telling. And it hearkens back to that priority of trying to find the reality in these fantastic stories. That’s what we do.”

So there you have it. Other juicy bits of Superman reboot/Batman 3 info buried in the interview:

  • The Superman reboot is currently looking to get underway around 2012 - likely after Nolan has completed his work on Batman 3.
  • The supporting cast from the first two Batman films will be back for Batman 3.
  • No announcement of what Batman villains they're playing with, although Nolan promises that Mr. Freeze is out of the question.

justice-league-chris-jona-nolan

So there you have it - Nolan has officially established that he is indeed the "Godfather" of DC movie universe. Call me a brown-noser if you want, but considering that Marvel has many of its prime properties currently in the wrong hands (Sony, Fox), while DC holds all of its properties and has the talents of guys like The Nolans, Goyer and Martin Campbell (Green Lantern) on their side... This next decade of the new millennium could be the one where DC/WB conquers the superhero movie genre. Marvel's Avengers project suddenly has some serious contenders to clash with...

Oh well, it all works out great for us super hero movie fans!

Be sure to check out Hero Complex for more of this great interview with Chris Nolan. And be sure to check back with us regularly for updates on both Superman: The Man of Steel and Batman 3.

Source: LA Times Hero Complex

Artwork Source: Superman/Brainiac by Gary Frank