Well, the long wait for an actual official Superman villain announcement has finally paid off with news that Michael Shannon has been cast as General Zod in the newly titled Man of Steel, due in theaters in December, 2012. Shannon joins Henry Cavill (Clark Kent/Superman), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Kevin Costner (Pa Kent) and Diane Lane (Ma Kent) in what’s shaping up to be an all-star superhero movie cast.

Michael Shannon

As you’re already well aware, Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch) will be directing the new Superman movie, which should probably guarantee us more action than any other Superman movie that’s come before it. Hopefully, knowing Christopher Nolan is heavily involved as a producer, this film will also pack quite a bit of substance as well, and seeing Shannon come on as Zod is, in my mind, a very, very good thing.
 
Sure, we’ve seen General Zod play villain in a Superman movie before. Terence Stamp played the character back in 1980’s Superman II, and not only has Zod been a fan favorite throughout the years, but he’s also one of the more formidable opponents for Superman to square off against.
 
Snyder agrees. On the casting, he notes, "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."

There will be some who criticize the villain choice, claiming we’ve been there and done that. But if we can support the resurrection of Spider-Man only ten years after the character’s previous resurrection, then we can support Zod as the villain in a Superman movie 32 years after Stamp first portrayed him on the big screen. That’s the way I see it, but what do you think?