It looks like Detroit will substitute for Gotham City in the highly anticipated sequel to ‘Man of Steel.’  The state of Michigan granted Warner Brothers a $35 million incentive to film there.  Detroit, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, was also recently used as the production location of ‘Transformers 4.’  The ‘Man of Steel’ sequel is expected to hire around 400 people in the area and is expected to generate $131 million in revenue.

The Detroit Free Press reported:

The Warner Bros. film featuring the two biggest superheroes of DC Comics expects to begin shooting in metro Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan sometime in the first three months of 2014.

The production is also expected to generate $5 million in just hotel use alone and will employ 500 local vendors, in addition to thousands of extras.

Director Zach Snyder stated “Detroit is a great example of a quintessential American city, and I know it will make the perfect backdrop for our movie.”  Snyder is currently putting the plot of the movie together with David S. Goyer, who will then complete the script.

“This project will further strengthen the reputation of Michigan and metro Detroit as a premier film destination,” said Margaret O’Riley, director of the Michigan Film Office. “We look forward to the spotlight shining on our incredibly talented workforce and the businesses that support our film industry here in Michigan.”

But rumor has it, another location will serve as a backdrop to this movie… Morocco.  Warner Brothers has filmed in this exotic location in the past, with ‘Body of Lies,’ ‘Sex & The City 2’ and most recently ‘Inception.’  Latino Review speculates that the desert setting may serve as the crash site of a Kryptonite meteor.

So far, the only confirmed castings are Henry Cavill returning as Superman/Clark Kent, with Amy Adams, Lawrence Fishburn and Diane Lane from the first film with Ben Affleck taking on the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne.  Rumors have been swirling about Bryan Cranston taking on the part of Lex Luthor, but there has been no official word on the matter.

The film has a release date of July 15, 2015.

Sources Deadline