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What’s Playing is reporting a couple interesting rumors regarding Zack Snyder’s Superman: The Man of Steel.

WP reports that while Man of Steel will feature Superman, the primary focus is on Clark Kent. As per What’s Playing, “A character breakdown issued to casting agencies this week says that the plot involves Clark getting involved in some sort of battle between two tribes in West Africa. When he is compelled to use his secret powers to intervene in a crisis in West Africa, Clark returns to Smallville to learn more about his origins and the hero he was born to be.”

Yeah, who wants to see Superman fighting Lex Luthor or Brainiac when you can see how lifting heavy things will somehow solve generations of violent power struggles. Is this the “modern context” producer Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David Goyer were talking about?

In addition to the Zwick-ian sounding plot (white guy saves/leads helpless minority), it also sounds very small potatoes when considering what Superman is capable of doing on the big screen (read larger-than-life battles). The idea of turning the focus to a mopey Clark Kent who struggles to understand his origins would be interesting if A) we didn’t already know Superman’s origin story; and B) this wasn’t the premise of Smallville, which has been on the air for ten seasons.

Granted, this is just a rumor, but it jives with an earlier logline about the plot, which read “Clark Kent is a journalist traveling the world trying to decide if he should, in fact, even become Superman.” Snyder has also said that “The film will focus on early days of Superman.” Perhaps, Goyer, Snyder, and Nolan have found a way to make the story work, but this rumored premise doesn’t exactly brim with excitement.

What’s Playing is also reporting that “Anne Hathaway is said to be a contender to play Lois Lane in the film.” She might be, as is probably every other noteworthy, age-appropriate actress in Hollywood. That being said, Hathaway would be a great choice for the role.

Superman: The Man of Steel is currently set for a holiday 2012 release.