Michael Shannon Cast as General Zod in 'Man of Steel'

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Superman to Battle General Zod in 'Man of Steel'. Respected character actor Michael Shannon (The Runaways, HBO's Boardwalk Empire) has been officially cast to play the Kryptonian supervillain General Zod for Warner Bros. Pictures' Superman reboot now titled Man of Steel.

Shannon was rumored as a candidate to play an unnamed villain back in March but director Zack Snyder had no comment before today's official announcement. Terence Stamp was the first actor to portray the megalomaniacal character on the big screen in 'Superman: The Movie' (1978) and 'Superman II' (1980).

Here's the press release:

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures announced today that Michael Shannon will star in the role of General Zod in director Zack Snyder's new Superman film, titled "Man of Steel."

Snyder stated, "Zod is not only one of Superman's most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don't. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."

As General Zod, Shannon will go toe-to-toe with Henry Cavill, who plays the new Clark Kent/Superman in the film. The main cast also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.

Michael Shannon was honored with an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sam Mendes' "Revolutionary Road," with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Shannon was most recently seen in the award-winning HBO drama series "Boardwalk Empire," from executive producer Martin Scorsese. He will next be seen in Sony Pictures Classics', "Take Shelter," from director/writer Jeff Nichols. (source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
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