Bryan Singer on Superman Returns

Superman Returns director Bryan Singer dicussed his choices for the costume that actor Brandon Routh is wearing, Kevin Spacey, running time, casting, Smallville, and more.

"You don't want to be playing with these colors too much, you don't want to be playing with these patterns too much," Singer said during his recent visit to Comic-Con International in San Diego. "It would be like giving Wolverine two claws instead of three. In terms of raising the 'S' I felt that the silk-screen felt a bit dated when filmed now. There's also some factoring into how the suit is made, with Kryptonian technology, although that's not a big part of our story.

"It was also the suit that the fit man. First we made the suit. But after we cast Brandon, we started modifying things so it looked right. I went back and looked at the other suits. If the 'S' was too large or silk-screened, I must tell you it would have looked, at this point, like a billboard or something. It had to be just the right proportions for his head and chest and things like that."

"When you're casting Superman, he has to appear as if he stepped out of a comic book or your collective memory of who Superman is supposed to be," Singer said. "Casting a star or a celebrity was never really an option for me. Brandon very much inhabits that character. If he were to be standing here in the suit, it would be like you're standing in a room with Superman."

Also, Singer said the film will likely be PG-13, but will the appeal will be for an all-ages audience and that the running time will likely be slightly more than two hours.

He visited with Smallville executive producers Al Millar and Miles Gough as well.

"We talked about their storylines and got an advance look at their material," Singer said. "And likewise, we share a lot of our material with them. Even though they're separate universes, we still try not to tread over each other's territories and respect the TV show that has carried the torch of Superman. And we're all friends now. So far, that's been a really great experience, and I think one will serve the other even if it's not a movie version of Smallville."

Singer on the shaven Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor: "He looks great. I almost didn't recognize him."

Apparently the first trailer for 'Returns' will be released some time this fall, likely during the early holiday season.