The 'Superman' Reboot Has A Villain! Michael Shannon Cast as General Zod

The wait for a Superman villain is over! Michael Shannon, a relative unknown (much like the film's star Henry Cavill), has been cast as General Zod, as announced by Warner Bros. This confirms the rumors that have been circulating that the Kryptonian character would be appearing in the film.

General Zod appeared as a character both in the beginning of 1978 "Superman" movie and in a larger role in the sequel, "Superman II." Here's the backstory for the non-initiated: before the destruction of Krypton (Superman's home planet), Zod was the commander of Krypton's military and was banished from the planet. In the sequel, he and his two cronies land on Earth where Superman must deal with them, and being Kryptonians they have equal superpowers to Superman.

It's not much of a surprise that Zack Snyder, who directed "Sucker Punch" and "300," would want to give Superman a Kryptonian opponent. A showdown between two super-powered enemies (or four, depending on whether or not Zod will come with henchmen) will offer great opportunities for over-the-top action sequences, which are Snyder's specialty.

This casting choice means that both the main protagonist and antagonist of the reboot, tentatively titled "Superman: Man of Steel," will be played by relatively unknown actors. Shannon is best known for his supporting role in "Revolutionary Road," and a recent appearance in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire." It also means that Viggo Mortensen, who was originally considered for the role, will now appear neither in this movie nor in "Snow White and the Huntsman."

Michael Shannon joins Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent.