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Tom Welling as Clark Kent on SMALLVILLE.
© CW

Tom Welling OUT of JLA Movie

By: Jarrod Sarafin, News Editor
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2007
Source: Robert Sanchez at IESB

It seems that everytime we publish some JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA news, we will get a comment or two about Tom Welling portraying the role of Superman in the upcoming JLA film. This is understandable because we passed word that Welling was the leading pick by WB for the job. That bit of information came not only from Robert Sanchez at IESB but from numerous sources around the net who also contacted their sources at the studio. Obviously, Welling's name has been bandied back and forth for quite some time, long before the story ever existed...

While George Miller(Happy Feet) was confirmed as director by the trades this week, Robert asked a few sources at Warner Bros. about Tom Welling still having the role of Supes. Disheartening though it may be for some fans, he's completely out of the running for the alter ego he portrays on the CW channel...Rob's confirmed that he's trying to find out the exact reasons this deal fell through..

Also mentioned is the fact that Brandon Routh has been in contact with WB in the past week. This doesn't mean that Routh will be putting on the outfit again for the JLA movie. The contact could have been from WB relaying the fact that SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL has been placed on an indefinite hold status for the foreseeable future. The studio could have been contacting Singer, Routh, Spacey (confirmed parties) to notify them of the decision rather then letting them find out from an impending Variety article.

These are the confirmed facts for the upcoming JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA film:

1. Director: George Miller

2. Screenwriters: Kieran and Michele Mulroney

3. Warner Bros has confirmed that this film will not connect in the same universe as the seperate Batman and Superman franchises

4. Warner Bros has confirmed that Bale and Routh will not play the roles for Bats and Supes.

5. Warner Bros has confirmed they want JLA filmed before the impending strike in June 2008. Casting has begun already and filming will begin by early 2008.

6. Warner Bros has confirmed they want JLA in theaters by summer 2009.

7. Warner Bros has confirmed that the film will feature the following characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern.

8. Warner Bros has confirmed that they hope JLA will serve as a launching pad for seperate Wonder Woman & Flash film franchises.

Just to put it in perspective, readers, these are the 8 points we know for sure in regards to the film. They are confirmed. As we have seen above, the Tom Welling bit has fallen through and we should probably treat any rumors of Ryan Gosling being on top of a short list of Bats contenders in the same respect until we have definitive confirmation. Most likely, this same attitude should be given with Ryan Reynolds as the Flash no matter how long he has been rumored to be in for the role..As Robert says in the link above, don't go shouting off your rooftops that Gosling is the next Bats no matter what the various sources at WB have said on the subject...

But enough about what we have confirmations about, it's time to open this conversation to you readers.

How would you like this film to be approached in respect to the other WB owned properties? Who do you see playing the roles of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash & Green Lantern even if you know we're probably getting unknowns. Which storylines do you see for the JLA movie? Are you excited? Are you hesitant? Share your thoughts...

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Comments/Responses

madmanic999 • Sep 22, 2007, 04:41am •

No big loss, I like Welling's look for the role, but I'm not a big fan of Superboy 90210.... so having this stand alone with no connection to that series doesn't break my heart. Now lets just hope they find the right guy for the blue and red pajamas instead of some kid or some 150 lbs dude.

metalwater • Sep 22, 2007, 05:36am •

Clearly George Miller personally fired Tom Welling...for the simply reason of snobbery.

Let's all listen in to the mind of George Miller-

Miller: I don't want tv's Superboy...because he's damaged goods having been in the series Smallville. (end of thought)

It is as simple as that, no matter what Warner Brothers will now claim. However, you can expect to hear the always convenient excuse of scheduling conflicts.

Also, if not Routh...expect George to cast someone like Jude Law as Superman...just to be Hollywood chic. However, if I was him I might go with an older middle aged Superman...someone like Bruce Willis...but then again...that would make this movie more Alex Ross in approach...but it would knock out concerns among fans about recasting Bale and Routh since we'd be dealing with an older Superman and a older Batman. And if they are going to go there, I could see Viggo Mortensen as Batman.

sportwarrior • Sep 22, 2007, 06:29am •

Why would they NOT use the JLA movie as a way to provide continuity between Superman and Batman? I just don't get that at all. These ARE characters from the same DC universe.... why in the world is it so bad to give the fans a little something to look forward to? The decision to make this a separate universe and to not take a crossover approach cheapens the movie's potential, in my opinion.

PREDATOR • Sep 22, 2007, 06:54am •

An y wouldn't they put Martian Man-Hunter in it i think that would be ten times better than that fish smelling Aqua man.. just my opinion

conman • Sep 22, 2007, 07:21am •

Why no Hawkman?

metalwater • Sep 22, 2007, 07:21am •

To: sportwarrior

With Bale failing to cooperate in respect to this film, having it turned it down even without seeing the script, there can be no continuity in terms of casting, hence...the recasting of certain roles must be done. But as I said, if they take the Alex Ross route of making Superman and Batman much older, it will not harm the continuity because fans won't gripe since Bale and Routh would not fit the roles in terms of age anyway.

hanso • Sep 22, 2007, 08:07am •

I think Gosling would make a cool Wayne/Bats. He looked the Wayne part somewhat in Fraction.
What if decide to cast Superman with the any of the people rumored to be Supes back when they were casting SR? Remember, people like Josh Hartnett and Ashton Kutcher plus some guy from a soap opera were rumored for the role. Maybe they'll be back iin the running.
What about Jesse Spencer(Dr. Chase from House MD) for the role of Aquaman? Age wise and look wise I think he could fit. They are probably going for a younger Aquaman. The people that have been rumored to play the JL parts are in their late 20s.

godsonfilm • Sep 22, 2007, 08:09am •

And look at it like this. This is DC owned, so the same minds that have 6 different Batman films and 100 different alternate universes in their comic world, seem to like variety and variations to exist simultaneously. I never was able to successfully image the Routh Superman and the Bale Batman in the same universe the way they act and the way the two worlds visually looked. My only question is why so soon?

popa • Sep 22, 2007, 08:20am •

This has the stench of pure ego. I can hear their thinking very clearly: I’m not going to build on the characters and stories of others. That might taint the admiration everyone’s going to have for my brilliance. We’re going to transcend mere comic books and TV shows and make this a real movie. Yeah, right. They’re forgetting that some smart people are behind the Superman saga. Mere money is not going to replace the years of thought that went into these characters. And it’s hard to imagine someone better than Tom Welling. They should build, not tear down and start over. And for God’s sake, get a writer who has some understanding of elementary physics this time. The last Superman movie was embarrassing.

kwsupes • Sep 22, 2007, 08:21am •

The more I read the more I keep going back to my original opinion that this movie will never see the light of day. And maybe it shouldn't until a few years have gone by and we have gotten to see the entire new Batman trilogy. They are not going to get this movie made in time for the strike regardless of what they say and if they do it will suck. Metal Water I think it would be cool to see an older Batman in the movie, but not neccessarily an older Supes. But once again I don' t think this movie will ever see the light of day.

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