Doing another story about Warner Brothers' difficulties in mounting a new Superman film feels like 'piling on,' given the numerous problems that have plagued this star-crossed project.  While Marvel is trotting out its top spandex saviors at the rate of two-to three per year, DC Comics, in spite of its close ties to corporate parent Warner Brothers, has had no luck get its big guns on the silver screen (sorry, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a great project, but they didn't have spandex in Queen Victoria's day).  After high profile 'turn-downs' from some of today's top young stars including Josh Harnett, Paul Walker, and Brendan Fraser, Variety spoke of a 'Superman Curse,' that scared off both agents and their strapping young clients (see 'Is There Kryptonite In The Casting Couch').  Now the bad luck has apparently rubbed off on the film's potential director as well.

Ratner, who is leaving to direct another potentially lucrative, but undoubtedly wretched yell-fest (Rush Hour 3), cited the lack of a lead actor as his reason for his departure.  Variety speculates that Ratner wanted soap star Matthew Bomer as the Man of Steel, but the studio balked.  Warner Brothers' nervousness is understandable given the bloated $225 million budget need to realize Ratner's vision of Superman -- that's a lot of money riding on a picture starring someone who is totally unknown to people who work during the day.  Warners had planned to start shooting the new Superman film in August, but August 2004 appears more realistic in the light of current developments.