What's Going on With Superman The Escape?

Recently, Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain went down (4th of July weekend) and will not reopen until 2011. It's unknown why, but it is said that the ride could be either partially or completely rethemed to... BIZARRO, a conversion given on Superman: Ride of Steel (SFNE) and Medusa (SFGAdv) in 2009. Personally, I hope this is false. STE doesn't need to be turned into Bizarro. Why not put it in another coaster, like Scream? Scream seems to be the ride that needs the Bizarro treatment the most. And it's easy too; all they need to do is copy some of the effects installed on Medusa, and give a similar repaint, and well, voíla!

Anyways, back to STE/Bizarro, I recall hearing back in December 2009 that the Superman figure has been taken down for a "repaint," which increases the possibility of a retheme. Here's some old rumors (when Bizarro started to be rumored):

2011 - Bizarro / Superman - Rumor - (2/10/10) While the whole subject of adding a Bizarro side to Superman is suddenly very popular, I’m told that the issue of a backwards car hitting the emergency brakes is not as bad as first thought. First hand accounts from many who have experienced it claim that it was not at all a jarring experience, but more like what riders have become accustomed to today by the quick but smooth stops on other rides with magnetic brakes, such as Xcelerator at Knott’s. However the jury is still out on if the ride would ever run backwards or not since the entire ride system may have to be put under review one again before being cleared to run that way.
(2/8/10) A reader was kind enough to point out a major flaw in the concept of transforming Superman: The Escape into having a backwards running “Bizarro” side. While I believe that the force of the launch could be handled in reverse, even with the addition of a new Over The Shoulder (OTS) restraint system if deemed necessary, the true problem lies with Superman’s emergency brake run behind the station.
Most people have not experienced this system in action, and even fewer have witnessed it from the outside since the station is clear of all guests until the train returns to the loading station, but in the rare case that Superman’s LSM powered braking system fails to stop a car that is rushing backwards into the station, the car will pass through a hanging barrier and into a section of track lined with natural earth magnets that will stop it in it’s tracks very quickly. You can see this short section of outdoor track behind the station in this aerial photo of the ride posted to Joyrides.
If a “Bizarro” car, running backwards, were to ever blast through into this emergency brake run, the riders would likely be thrown forward into their restraints (lap bars or even OTS if added) with such extreme force, that it would not only hurt, but also possibly cause serious injury.
(2/5/10) According to a post on Coasterdom, based on an interesting Tweet by Six Flags, it seems that some new changes are in the works for Superman: The Escape. While this could have something to do with why the Superman figure has been missing from the top of the tower for so long, they believe that last years rumors of a conversion of Superman into a Bizarro themed ride are also very possibly coming to pass.
I heard this rumor myself from my own sources and as I understood it the idea from last year was that one side of Superman would be altered to feature a new Bizarro themed car that may run backwards. Then they would finally get both sides of the ride able to launch simultaneously once again, as this has been a major headache for the ride from Day 1. Anyone know more?

And some newer reports:

(7/10/10) I’m not quite sure what the reason is, but following the end of the busy July 4th weekend, Superman: The Escape has been shut down. A barrier is up blocking the entrance with a sign now that says that the ride is closed for “routine annual maintenance work” which will “ensure your future enjoyment for years to come”. While a closure for a few days to fix a problem isn’t too crazy an explanation, the “annual maintenance” line sounds like complete crap since they would have done that during the slow off season.
According to another source however, something is up with the ride that could keep it closed until sometime in 2011. Given the perfect timing of shutting it down following the busy weekend, this sounds more like a planned closure. Of course with all the rumors about cost-cutting across the Six Flags chain, I’ve got to wonder if they’ve opted to close it simply to reap the savings on the electric bill for the park as Superman does require a lot of juice to operate. Of course there were those crazy “Bizarro” transformation rumors earlier this year as well... hmmm... anyone else know more?

(7/21/10) We’ve heard a report that a sign may have been placed in front of Superman: The Escape now claiming that it wont reopen until Spring 2011. Can anyone confirm this and get a picture?

(7/22/10) It’s been confirmed that there is now a sign in front of Superman: The Escape confirming that it will remain closed until Spring 2011 because “Something BIG is happening.” You can find a picture of the sign posted here. The funny thing is that most people are still buzzing about a Bizarro tie-in being on the way for the ride next year… I guess we’ll find out if it’s true or not.