Michael Shannon to Play Zod in ‘Superman: Man of Steel’

After months of rumors and speculation as to who Superman would be facing in Zack Snyder’s Superman: Man of Steel, we finally have an answer: General Zod. and now we have confirmation that Michael Shannon will be taking on the antagonist role. The announcement comes directly from Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures.

“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,” Snyder stated.

Michael Shannon was most recently seen in Martin Scorsese’s HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” and was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Revolutionary Road, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. He can soon be seen in Sony Pictures Classics’ Take Shelter.

General Zod has been previously played by the incomparable Terence Stamp in Richard Donner’s Superman II. Now that we have this confirmation, don’t be surprised to see those rumors of Ursa come to fruition as well.

Shannon will be joining Henry Cavill, who is Snyder’s Superman/Clark Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Pa and Ma Kent, respectively. Zack Snyder is Directing with Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder will be producing.