I was hoping that by now, people would start appreciating Superman Returns for what it really is: a great superhero movie about the one long forgotten superhero icon who has lost relevance due an emergence of darker, grittier comic book adaptations. Although at times he played the character muter than most would prefer, Brandon Routh was a stellar Clark Kent and a great Superman.

But it seems as though Warner Bros. may have waited too long to move on a Return sequel, at least one that would include Brandon Routh in the starring role. According to Omelete (via Moviehole and ThinkMcFlyThink), Routh’s contract has ended, and if the studio wishes for him to don the blue tights again, they would need to re-approach him (he'd be totally into it, by the way).

The worst part about all of this is that Routh seems to be unaware of any such plans at this time. If anyone should know about whether or not a new Superman movie is being made, it’s probably Superman. And the fact that he doesn’t does not bode well for a new film. I, for one, hope Warner Bros. reassesses the success of Superman Returns and decides to give the franchise another chance. When it comes to second parts of superhero franchises, odds are usually on the studio’s side.