Michael Shannon is General Zod in Superman Reboot 'Man of Steel'

Michael Shannonhas been confirmed to star as the villainous General Zod inMan of Steel, Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman franchise scheduled for December 2012.

Shannon, 36, was on theshortlist of namesbeing considered for the Kryptonian megalomaniac last month when Snyder selected three-time Oscar nomineeAmy Adamsto play Lois Lane. British actorHenry Cavillis set to play Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman) and his adoptive parents (the Kents) will be played byDiane LaneandKevin Costner.

The return of General Zod has (expectedly) drawn some ire from Superman fans who, perhaps, wanted to see a new villain face off against the Man of Steel. But the first appearance of the character on screen in 32 years seems reasonable, especially considering the recycled baddies revolving through the beloved Batman franchise. Besides, General Zod presents not only a formidable challenge for the Kryptonian hero and his superhuman strength, but an opportunity to reference Superman’s otherworldly origins without a tedious revisit of his infancy— though, to be clear, Warner Bros lost the rights to Krypton and his parents, Jor-El and Lara, in a legal battle with the estates of Action Comics creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Further details on Zod’s involvement in the plot are, naturally, under wraps, but several reports have hinted at the similar return of Ursa, Zod’s female co-conspirator played by Sarah Douglas in the 1978 and 1980 films.She’s Out of My LeaguebeautyAlice Eve,Inglourious BasterdsactressDiane Kruger, and former Bond girlRosamund Pikewerereportedly in contentionfor the part, though Kruger has denied any involvement.

If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Shannon’s work, the diverse actor regularly delivers exactly the sort of intense portrayal expected from the menacing Zod, particularly after the iconic performance from Terence Stamp inSuperman II. Shannon absolutely crushed his conflicted, right-wing role on HBO’s“Boardwalk Empire” during its first season, somehow a standout amongst a packed ensemble of heavyweights. He picked up an Oscar nomination for his off-putting supporting role inRevolutionary Roadand recently glowered his way through a demented turn in Herzog’sMy Son My Son, What Have Ye Done?Perfect choice.

The announcement was officially made on Sunday, but Shannon didn’t have a chance to speak publicly about his casting until the RiverRun International Film Festival, where he described meeting Snyder and discussing Zod, a surreal moment he likened to an acid trip.

“So I go meet him {Zack Snyder} and he’s seriously sitting there and he’s telling me – he’s like ‘You can’t read the script, so I’m just gonna tell you what happens,’” Shannon recalls.“And he spent like a half hour telling me every scene in this movie. Then it’s a month later, it’s like‘OK, you’re General Zod.’”

Shannon elaborates on the studio vetting process, including his read with Cavill, in the video below (hat tip to/Film):

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