Warner Bros. has confirmed that Michael Shannon will appear as General Zod in the next Superman film. Best known for his Academy Award-nominated role in Revolutionary Road and his work on Boardwalk Empire, Shannon will battle Henry Cavill's Superman/Clark Kent in the Zack Snyder film, which will indeed be titled Man of Steel.Already an Oscar-nominee, the 35-year-old Shannon earned himself many more admirers with his recent work on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, in which he played a psychopathic federal agent obsessed with enforcing prohibition. Given the violent intensity of the role, it's easy to imagine Shannon as the evil Kryptonian warlord Zod, who's traditionally been depicted as being imprisoned in the Phantom Zone during the destruction of his and Superman's homeworld, before attempting to take over Earth.

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."

Michael Shannon joins a cast that also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent.

Directed by Zack Snyder from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, Man of Steel is expected to open in December 2012.

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