Michael Shannon will take on the 'Man of Steel' as General Zod

Warner Bros. has announced Michael Shannon is joining director Zack Synder's upcoming Superman movie, "Man of Steel," portraying the villainous General Zod.

Shannon was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 2009 for his work in "Revolutionary Road." He is also Agent Nelson Van Alden in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."

"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," Synder said in a statement. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."

Zod appeared in "Superman" in 1978 and "Superman II" in 1980. Terence Stamp played the character in both those films. Like Superman, Zod is from the planet Krypton, and shares his powers.

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

Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight") is among the producers of the new film and helped develop the story with David S. Goyer, who is writing the script.

It is interesting that General Zod will be making an appearance in "Man of Steel," especially since he, along with Lex Luther, have had their share of film portrayals. Bringing Luther back as the primary villain in 2006's "Superman Returns" was one of that movie's biggest weaknesses even with a solid performance from Kevin Spacey.

Although few would argue that Superman has a villains gallery like that of Batman, there are other possibilities who have yet to be explored in the films such as Brainiac and Darkseid.