The rumor mill for Zack Snyder's reboot of the Superman franchise, The Man of Steel, keeps chugging along, even now that speculation about a middle-aged Clark Kent or General Zod as the villain in the film has been laid to rest.

Additional (possibly even accurate) information about the film's plot has been discovered, while another 20-something, A-list actress is now being rumored as a top contender to play Clark Kent's object of affection, Lois Lane.

[Update: Anne Hathaway is Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises and Henry Cavill has been cast as Superman]

Word is that a character description for Man of Steel has been sent out to a variety of casting agencies, who are currently searching for an unknown, 28-32 year-old actor to play the iconic superhero. What's Playing claims that Snyder's Clark Kent will be "a young journalist, traveling the globe, who would rather solve problems and help people without resorting to using his special powers," and provided the following information about the reboot's plot:

When he is compelled to use his secret powers to intervene in a crisis in West Africa, Clark returns to Smallville to learn more about his origins and the hero he was born to be.

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Superman Man of Steel movie Zack Snyder

Recall that while Superman reboot "godfather" Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins was the origin story of the Caped Crusader, it also plumbed the psychological depths of Bruce Wayne and sent him (literally) on a journey to understand himself and his purpose in life. These possible Man of Steel plot details should definitely be taken with a sizable grain of salt, but the proposed storyline would very much pave the way for Nolan and Snyder to examine the Superman character in a fittingly complex fashion.

Allowing Clark Kent to venture out and explore the world would also be an effective means to modernize the character, who would find himself in new territory by actually confronting, head-on, the global issues and crises that afflict the world - outside of Metropolis, that is. Nolan's Batman films have benefited from shifting the setting beyond that of Gotham City - will the Superman reboot do the same?

Anne Hathaway as Lois Lane?

Just about every young, established actress working in the biz right now has been (and likely will be again) floated as a possibility to play the role of Lois Lane in Snyder's Superman reboot. While Warner Bros. was interested in Natalie Portman a while ago, the new gal rumored to be a serious contender for the part is Anne Hathaway.

The Oscar-nominated Hathaway would be a decent choice for the role of Miss Lane, though we agree with The Playlist that someone like Rebecca Hall (The Town) seems like a better fit to play the character, who has more than her share of beauty, brains, and focus on her career - especially when Superman is in the picture.

The Man of Steel is expected to begin shooting by June 2011, so it's a bit early to expect any concrete information about the film's plot or casting decisions to leak out just yet - but what do you make of these new rumors?

Source: What's Playing