 | 'Kneel before Zod!' |
A recreation of a classic scene
Apparently General Zod, a character made into an iconic supervillain by the great Terrance Stamp, is set to return in the upcoming Man of Steel film directed by Zack Snyder. Before Superman II, General Zod was a somewhat obscure villain of Superman's rogue's gallery.
Michael Shannon
Via Reuters:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Michael Shannon, who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as a mentally troubled man in "Revolutionary Road" two years ago, has been cast as the villain in the upcoming Superman film.He will play General Zod opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in "Superman: Man of Steel." Zod, like Superman, is from Krypton, where he commanded its armed forces. The character appeared in both 1978's Superman and its 1980 sequel Superman II, where he was played by Terence Stamp.
"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," said Zach Snyder, the director of the new film. "Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."
Shannon, seen more recently as a stern federal agent in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," joins a lineup that also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent, the adoptive parents of Superman's alter ego Clark Kent.
A power-hungry general from the planet Krypton, Zod led an unsuccessful coup against the Kryptonian government and was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for his crimes. Later released by an apparently misguided Superboy, Zod acquired super powers that rivaled that of the boy of steel and started his quest for domination all over again. The story was only somewhat changed for Superman II and remains one of the most well received of the Superman feature films. I guess the studio chose Zod as a safe bet as far as villains go, but already fans are asking why Warner Bros. is remaking a film that worked the first time... again? Superman Returns is largely a retelling of the 1979 film with some modern touches.
Will Man of Steel be Superman II for a new generation or yet another miss for the Superman franchise?
Snyder recently told the LA Times that:
"Literally, the one thing that everyone can start to think about is that we're making a movie that finally goes with the approach that there's been no other Superman movies," Snyder said. "If you look at 'Batman Begins,' there's that structure: there's the canon that we know about and respect, but on other hand there's this approach that pre-supposes that there haven't been any other movies. In every aspect of design and of story, the whole thing is very much from that perspective of 'Respect the canon but don't be a slave to the movies.'"
... so maybe he has no idea that there already was a Superman II featuring General Zod.
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