Superman is gay. Superman isn't gay. Is the debate moot yet? We saw Superman Returns last night and, after a rather lackluster build up to an anti-climax, we're inclined to let this whole plotline vanish into comic book circle jerks on principle alone. But then Brandon Routh had to go and get himself immortalized yesterday at Madame Tussaud’s House of Wax here in New York — and bring his beard girlfriend Courtney Ford, who refused to leave his side. Yes, we've all heard the rumors about Routh dating Superman Returns director Bryan Singer before they made the movie. And yes, we spotted Routh and his lady friend just as attached at the MTV Movie Awards. But, just for a moment, can we leave the fella alone? Well, leave him alone at least as long as it takes you to get through the photos, after the jump.

Brandon Routh's Girlfriend Too Super? [OAN]

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The fracas over Superman's sexuality isn't just hitting the cover of The Advocate — it's reverberating back to the Warner Bros. studio, as execs continue to fight its summer blockbuster's gay rep. And gay director Bryan Singer is caught up in all of it.

The gay buzz sparked by one-sheets presenting Brandon Routh as the Babyfaced Superbod. Then Warner’s ridiculous panic because of gay-themed Superman stories in, god forbid, The Advocate. Singer’s own desperate damage control that this was “probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I’ve ever made.” Things got so out of hand, I’m told, that Warner’s president of production Jeff Robinov sought advice from his Matrix pal Joel Silver on how the hell to sell Superman in a more butch fashion. After all, when it comes to making and marketing manly movies to manly men, Silver’s the manliest. (I’ve learned that uber-heterosexual Joel loved Superman Returns

And if that's not enough of a Hollywood headache, the studio managed to bungle the marketing of its $260 million project where it counts: MySpace.

I also hear that Warner Bros. screwed up the film’s promotion on MySpace.com, which has become a key component of any good campaign. Not only was Superman Returns late to display there, but for many days the wrong opening date was posted since no one bothered to update when the film’s opening was moved earlier to June 28th.

Warner Bros. Asked Joel Silver For Advice On How To Market More Manly Superman [Deadline Hollywood]

We're not even that big of comic book fans, but we've already secured out tickets to Superman Returns for Tuesday — not because anyone at Warner Bros. is taking care of us, but because Fandango is. It's going to be a Blockbuster hit; we know that. Part of that, of course, will be thanks to director Bryan Singer, the openly gay Hollywooder who, it was recently announced, will be directing the upcoming Harvey Milk biopic.

Beating out the likes of Oliver Stone and Gus Van Sant, Singer will be telling the story of fellow homo Milk, the first openly gay city supervisor of San Francisco and gay rights activist, whose 1978 assassination (and mocking seven year prison sentence for assassin Dan White) caused rioting throughout the Bay Area.

The Mayor of Castro Street, based on the 1982 birography, is slated to hit theaters in 2007. We'll be here, refreshing Fandango.

* Yes, some might argue Superman Returns was Singer's gay Hollywood debut.

Bryan Singer to direct Harvey Milk biopic [Gay.com]
Harvey Milk [Wikipedia]
Related: The Fight to Keep Superman Straight