In the beginning of Superman Returns the man of steel has been inexplicably absent for several years, but, of course, he makes a grand return to go on another epic adventure. Well, it looks like the film franchise is following in Superman’s footsteps, minus the whole homecoming thing. Despite positive reviews, Superman Returns ended up as sequel kryptonite, sending plans for another installment into deep space. Turns out, those plans aren’t long gone, they’re just on hold.

According to Indie Wire, Warner Bros. is saying no to another Superman, but only until the copyright issues are settled. The battle between the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerome Siegel, DC Comic and Warner Bros. has been an ongoing escapade for quite some time. The Siegels claim they’re owed some of the profits from 2006’s Superman Returns. Back in July, a judge ruled that DC, but not Warner Bros., is responsible for the payments and that the amount is to be decided in court in December. Then, in August, that same judge ruled that the companies had to give up rights to particular elements of the franchise, like the planet Krypton and his parents Jor-El and Lora. The more troublesome part is that by the year 2013, both the Seigels and the Shusters, the family of co-creator Joel Shuster, will gain control of the entire copyright of Action Comics No. 1 in which Superman made his first appearance, giving them power to do what they please with any films, TV shows and other related projects.

I don’t really understand how anyone could be hopeful about this whole ‘on hold’ thing. Okay, Warner Bros. is putting the project to the side until the legal battles are settled, but don’t forget that the battle will have to be settled in their favor. Considering the issue’s messy history, I doubt the families and the studios are going to come to an agreement. Regardless, the article goes on to say that “the studio is still seeking the right direction.” Nobody is working on a potential script but a Warner Bros. executive explained “we’re working on a strategy for DC” and that “Superman is the trickiest one to figure out.”