It was announced by 
Warner Brothers Pictures that Michael Shannon will be playing General Zod in the upcoming Superman re-boot Superman: Man of Steel, directed by visual mastermind Zac Snyder.
“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,” Snyder states in the official release. “Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”
In a role previously portrayed by Terence Stamp in Superman
: The Movie and Superman II, Michael Shannon will have quite the task ahead of him taking the role of Zod, mastered by Stamp, and making it his own. Shannon has always managed to put an interesting twist in whatever role he takes on, be it the colorful producer Kim Fowley in The Runaways, or the obnoxious white supremacist Floyd Poteet in Bad Boys II, so there is little doubt he will do the same opposite of our man of steel (played by Henry Caville) as the formidable supervillain Zod.
For those not savvy on Superman’s more prominent villain, the egocentric character General Zod (known as Dru-Zod in the comics) spent most of his comic book appearances first attempting to rule Krypton, then moving on to our very own planet Earth, with exile after exile for these and other crimes sprinkled in between. Much like his enemy and fellow Kryptonian, Superman, Zod’s arsenal of powers includes vast super strength, speed & stamina, sensory and vision powers, wind and ice breath, invulnerability, and flight. Do I detect a super action-packed possibly 3D fight scene in a heavily-civilianed area over the horizon? One could only be so lucky, as the strengths of one are matched by the other when Superman: Man of Steel hits theaters December 2012.
Official Press Release:
MICHAEL SHANNON TO STAR AS GENERAL ZOD IN “MAN OF STEEL” FROM WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES
BURBANK, CA, April 10, 2011 – 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.
Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder are the producers of the film. The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.
“Man of Steel” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
