When it was announced that The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan would "godfather" the Superman franchise at home studio Warner Bros., a rumor sprung up that brother Jonah Nolan may assume directorial duties on Superman: Man of Steel.  While not completely unreasonable due to the nepotism factor and Jonah's solid screenwriting resume (The Dark Knight, the potential Spielberg flick Interstellar), would the studio really be willing to hand the reins of one of the most valuable comic book franchises on the planet to a man with zero directing experience?really

Well, it appears that Warner Bros. is giving the notion some serious consideration.  The latest rumor suggests that David S. Goyer --- the man whose name graces the Man of Steel script --- is also in the mix, but the younger Nolan is the lead contender to direct Superman.  More after the jump:

The source of this particular item is The Playlist, who remain skeptical about the idea.  However, since an intriguing wealth of info originates from a "good source," it was worth putting into print.  The highlights:

-Jonah Nolan is "the frontrunner" to direct Superman, which would be his feature debut.  Christopher Nolan is a major supporter of his younger brother at the studio, which certainly can't hurt.  It appears that part of J. Nolan's appeal is his status as writer/director: Warner Bros. wants a multi-hyphenate filmmaker to keep the payroll low.

-There is a Man of Steel draft that has really wowed the studio, which might help explain Goyer's presence on the shortlist.  According to the source, "It's either going to be Goyer or Nolan directing from the sounds of it."

-The gig was offered to the Wachowski brothers, but no dice.  (They're likely engulfed by their Iraqi war film CN9.)  Likewise, Zachary Levi of Chuck fame has no involvement with the development of the reboot despite rumors to the contrary.

-Expect an unknown to don the cape, as the studio would like to secure the talent for a three-picture deal.  Per the source, "there is a list knocking around, but its nothing major and really worth nothing more than a fan wish-list."

-Finally, expect "major announcements" on this, the weekend of Comic-Con

That last one's practically a given, but consider everything else a rumor at this point.  We'll see how things shake out by the end of the weekend.