Vader is No Superman & Hulk Madness

April Fool’s provided a wild week of rumor mongering, bantering and trickery, leaving us all on unsteady ground and wondering if we were victims of vicious pranks…

But the truth comes out in our latest edition of Top Maniacal Rumors of the Week.

Hayden “Vader” Christensen Set to Play Superman in Justice League?

The Rumor: Someone sent a tip to Cinema Blend that they managed to talk with Adam Brody in Canada where George Miller was scouting locations for the JL film. Part of the conversation supposedly had Hayden playing the role of Supes.

The Source: Cinema Blend

The Mania Verdict: FALSE—Cinema Blend quickly did a retraction of the story when sources close to Hayden’s camp denied the rumor. It could have been a bad source on CB’s part or it could have been Brody joking on the matter since Hayden is dating his ex.

Matthew Vaughn to Direct Millar’s Kick Ass Comic?

The Rumor: Matthew Vaughn will be directing a planned adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic Kick Ass.

The Source: Newsarama

The Mania Verdict: MAYBE—For now, it’s “no comment” as Millar himself answered the rumors to Newsarama, which began from an AICN rumor.

"I can't confirm or deny any director at this stage. Sure, Matthew and I are friends and I think 'Layer Cake' and 'Stardust' tie with '28 Days Later' as the best British films of this decade so having him onboard would be amazing. But at this stage I can't even give you a little wink, except to say that the director is already in place and we're looking to rapidly go into production once we've finished a polish on the final script next month. Some casting has already been worked out, too, but I can say nothing beyond this annoyingly vague statement."

Editing Issues and Five Different Cuts for Incredible Hulk?

Banner (Norton) is getting a bit angry here in THE INCREDIBLE HULK(2008).

© Universal Pictures/Marvel Studios

The Rumor: The rift between Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier and writer-star Edward Norton seems to be widening as Norton has been kicked out of the editing bay because of rumored issues with the film’s prologue. There has been talk that there have already been five different cuts of the film.

The Source: ComicbookResources

The Mania Verdict: TRUE—The first teaser trailer for the film has arrived and it’s safe to say it was later than usual for a film this big. Studio sources have confirmed that Norton is “passionate” about his involvement in the character and it makes sense that the rift is caused from a key part like the beginning of the film. Hulk isn’t considered an origin tale or a sequel to the 2003 film so finding a balance seems to be an issue.

Grindhouse-Style Machete Film Still in the Offering?

The Rumor: For months, we’ve heard that some of the faux trailers in Grindhouse may be turned into feature films. One of them is Machete, a Robert Rodriguez film starring Danny Trejo.

The Source: Bloody Disgusting

The Mania Verdict: TRUE—We’ve been leaning toward false for some months but Trejo keeps on saying it’s planned with director Rodriguez behind the project. The actor said it again this last weekend at the Horror Hound Weekend Festival. Director Eli Roth is already working on a full-sized feature film of faux trailers, which will expand on his Thanksgiving story.

Spawn’s Michael J. White Facing Bruce Willis in the Surrogates?

Snapshot of Spawn (Michael Jai White) in action in SPAWN(1997).

© New Line

The Rumor: Michael J. White, who played Spawn in the 90s, is looking to face off against Bruce Willis in Surrogates, an upcoming adaptation of the graphic novel.

The Source: Moviehole

The Mania Verdict: TRUE—It seems to make sense. Michael is getting back into some high profile projects with an upcoming appearance in The Dark Knight and another possible role in the Justice League film.

Heroes star Pennyworth in Justice League film?

The Rumor: Yet another wild rumor appeared that Heroes supporting star Stephen Tobolowsky is set to play the role of Alfred Pennyworth, the loyal butler of Batman, in the superhero team-up.

The Source: Various

The Mania Verdict: FALSE—Tobolowsky had this to say to Moviehole on the rumor:

"I sent all of the stories to my manager who has zero idea where the stories came from ... Who contacted Warner ... Who has no idea where the story came from," Tobolowsky said. "The studio said they don't even have a script ... That they expect a draft in two MONTHS ... They have not secured the super heroes yet let alone their butlers ... We shall see."