In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Michael Shannon discussed his upcoming thriller film The Iceman, which is set for a release on May 3, 2013 (USA) that also stars Chris Evans (who is Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and the discussion inevitably went in his next film, Man of Steel. The interviewer asked him how different his Zod is going to be from Terence Stamp's version in Richard Donner's Superman films.
Michael Shannon on General Zod
"Well, I have a very different voice than Terence Stamp. When I sat down and talked with Zack [Snyder] about how he wanted me to approach the part, he just said that what was really important to him is that Zod wasn’t just some villain who was full of an arbitrary need to destroy everything. He’s not really actually the villain at all on Krypton. He’s a general. Not general of a country. He’s general of an entire planet. Just an awesome amount of responsibility and pressure. He’s responsible for taking care of that civilization, and for a long time, he was pretty good at it. And then he hit some bumps in the road, and now he’s just desperate to try and fix things up."
In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twentysomething journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.
Man of Steel Directed by: Zack Snyder
Written by: David S. Goyer (screenplay & story), Christopher Nolan (story)
Produced by: Deborah Snyder, Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Running Time: Unknown
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: June 14, 2013 (USA)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Ayelet Zurer, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Harry Lennix.
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