Routh out as Superman

The trades are a buzz early this morning with word that WB has ended talks with Brandon Routh, star of Superman Returns.

Warner Bros has not yet gone public with the news, but negotiations with Routh have “turned stale.”

According to a source close to WB, talks with the Returns star, “went south a few months ago. They have already began looking elsewhere.”

Apparently Warner Bros was none too pleased with Routh’s turn as gay character Bobby Long, Justin Long’s partner in the film Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

While WB does not condemn homosexuality, it felt that Routh’s depiction in that film would “tarnish his image” as Superman.

The source also stated that the new front running man is Scott Porter of Friday Night Lights fame.

Porter also starred in the films Music and Lyrics, Speed Racer, and Prom Night.