Michael Shannon has been cast as the villainous General Zod in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman franchise reboot, Man Of Steel.
The casting was announced late yesterday afternoon. In a statement, 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.
Shannon’s been a working character actor for about two decades now, but it has only been the last couple of years has his career really taken off. He received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Revolutionary Road and can currently be seen on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
A criminal from Superman’s home planet of Krypton, General Zod was imprisoned in the immaterial dimension called “The Phantom Zone” by Superman’s father following a failed coup attempt. He appeared in both Superman and Superman II, memorably played by Terence Stamp.
While there are lots of great performances of his to choose from, I’d like to point to Shannon’s role in the 2007 indie drama Shotgun Stories is an example of the kind of intensity he an bring to the role of Zod.
Man Of Steel will star Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent.
Via The Hollywood Reporter.
