Michael Shannon Cast As Zod

Apologist Puncher wrote:He really does. How'd you like the "baptism" scene?

And with what you have seen, can you envision him going over-the-top like Terrence Stamp did? It WORKED for Stamp, it WOULDN'T work for Shannon.

You'll love it.

thecolorsblend wrote:I dug it but I'm still trying to figure out how he could do that in front of dozens of witnesses, all of whom knew his name and place of employment and still somehow convince his superiors that the victim had heart failure or something.

Well, if he's as good as I expect he is, he probably could go OTT and sell it. But I think a colder, more aloof Zod is why you go to a guy like Shannon. I would imagine he can use a less east coast accent to play the role so, overall, I feel more confident in him than ever.

Kind of a disappointment. I was expecting more of a pitched battle between Nucky and the Chicago guy who fixed the World Series. Obviously both are modeled on historical figures (to varying degrees) so I guess the showrunners have to stick to the history books but I wasn't expecting either side to sue for peace. Eliminating the DaLessio (sp?) brothers though was awesome. Sort of Godfather'ish but not really.

Also, I was half-expecting Nelson to *REALLY* do something notable in the finale based upon what you wrote but he basically knocked that Danziger chick up, slapped the piss out of some guy and then read his Bible.

Overall, it's a good little show. I've never been big on HBO shows before but this one's quality.

Apologist Puncher wrote:

thecolorsblend wrote:I dug it but I'm still trying to figure out how he could do that in front of dozens of witnesses, all of whom knew his name and place of employment and still somehow convince his superiors that the victim had heart failure or something.

Two things you have to keep in mind:

1. Who exactly are the witnesses?

2. What was the "racial climate" like at the time?

They knew what kind of trouble they would be bringing down on themselves if they implicated a white FEDERAL AGENT.

I expect him to do a "slow burn". Building up to just EXPLODE all over Cavill's Superman during the finale.

I should have "hinted" more about the plot turns, rather than any particular actors performance in the finale. Did you expect the little "coup" that is brewing with certain people at the end? And Nucky thinking things COULDN'T get better?

Like I said, I love the show. But if the Reboot delays Shannon's involvement, I'm all for it.

Kneel Before Zod

What is all the fuss over Superman's enemy?

It was announced last Sunday that Oscar nominee and eccentric character actor Michael Shannon will play Gen. Zod in director Zack Snyder and producer Christopher Nolan's upcoming reinvention of Superman, now officially titled "Man of Steel." This confirmed rumors that had been circulating for weeks that the would-be Kryptonian dictator -- a minor villain in the comics during the '60s who became the major bad guy (played by Terence Stamp) in 1981's "Superman II" -- would resurface.

There's no word on whether he'll be accompanied by cohorts Ursa and Non in the new film. The threesome made their screen debut briefly in "Superman" (1978), when Superman's father, Jor-El (Marlon Brando), consigned them to the Phantom Zone for attempting to overthrow the Kryptonian government. Breaking out in the second film, they tracked Superman (Christopher Reeve) to Earth, with Zod wanting to have his vengeance and conquer Kal-El's adopted home.

It seems likely that Shannon will provide quite a different performance from the brutish, rather one-dimensional tyrant portrayed by Stamp. So why has the announcement that Zod will be the villain (against Henry Cavill as Superman) exasperated fans?

The biggest complaint seems to be, obviously, that we've seen Zod before. Of course, that was three decades ago, and, arguably, enough time has elapsed for a fresh look at the character. Lex Luthor has been the main or secondary villain in four of the five modern "Superman" films, and no one wants to see him again (although rumors persist that he'll show up in this one, too). So why not bring back a bad guy who, as a fellow survivor of Superman's destroyed home world, can match Superman's powers and provide a look at the dark side of the Kryptonian psyche?

The fan unease over the inclusion of Zod seems to be over the fact that with more than 70 years of villains in the Superman canon, the filmmakers -- who have promised, by the way, a movie with no ties to the previous five films -- have gone back to the first two "Superman" films for their adversary. With evildoers like Brainiac, Darkseid, Metallo and Bizarro all locked in their print prison, waiting for their big break onscreen, does it really have to be Zod, who wasn't even a big deal in the comics until well after he showed up onscreen?

Ironically, there have been very few complaints about the fact that Christopher Nolan, in directing his own "Batman" films, has either resurrected or is about to resurrect four villains already seen in the previous cycle of films (1989--1997) directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher: the Joker (seen in "Batman" and "The Dark Knight"), Two-Face (introduced in "Batman Forever" and seen again in "The Dark Knight"), Catwoman (seen in "Batman Returns" and soon to be seen in "The Dark Knight Rises") and Bane (featured in "Batman and Robin" and also showing up in "The Dark Knight Rises").

So why does Nolan get a free pass while Snyder -- not to mention Bryan Singer, who brought back Luthor in his "Superman Returns" (2006) -- does not?

We have a couple of theories. For one, whatever the quality of the four "Batman" films made by Burton and Schumacher, they did introduce a significant number of villains from the Caped Crusader's rogue's gallery. That has perhaps earned Nolan the right to give a few of those characters another turn at bat. And, of course, there's also the fact that original quartet of movies took significant liberties with either the origin or portrayal of its bad guys -- transgressions which Nolan has gone a long way toward correcting.

For example, the Two-Face played by Tommy Lee Jones in "Batman Forever" was a screaming, rather buffoonish caricature, not the crusading district attorney eventually corrupted by the Joker into a vengeful psychopath in "The Dark Knight." While Michelle Pfeiffer fared somewhat better as Catwoman in "Batman Returns," her origin story -- thrown from a building by her boss and licked back to life by cats -- was awful. And let's not even get started on Bane: The powerful antagonist known for breaking Batman's back was reduced to a monosyllabic henchman in the unbearable "Batman and Robin."

Even Jack Nicholson's Joker in the first "Batman" -- seen at the time as a perfect marriage of actor and role -- frankly pales in comparison with Heath Ledger's searing performance in "The Dark Knight." Our lingering image of Nicholson as the Joker is him dancing around a museum and vandalizing paintings to Prince songs. Like Jones' Two-Face, Nicholson's Joker now comes across as silly and juvenile compared to Ledger's dangerously insane terrorist.

Nolan's "Batman" cycle was also the first to tell the Caped Crusader's origin story, paving the way for the reintroduction of key villains like Joker and Two-Face. His films provided the definitive take on those villains while also introducing others never seen onscreen before, like Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul. In each case, those were important enemies from Batman's history. Zod, for a long time, was not, and his inclusion feels bland and unsurprising. We also don't need to see Superman's origin story again, but the addition of Zod almost makes it a sure bet that we will.

Look, Snyder, Nolan and screenwriter David Goyer may end up startling us all with a radical new take on Zod. They may give us a fresh perspective on Superman's origins. They might just -- aw, to hell with it. Who's playing Lex?

Send us your thoughts on all things sci-fi, horror, etc. Write us at heymsn@microsoft.com

Don Kaye covers film, TV and entertainment for MSN.com

non_amos wrote:I know this is a Superman thread but this guy has the nerve to ridicule Jack Nicholson's Joker?! As a cartoony buffoon?! Who pales in comparison to Heath Ledger's performance?! GIVE.....ME.....A.....BREAK!!!!!

I do, however, believe that Zod will be handled well in this reboot though, especially when I have a feeling that they'll go with something more in line with the comics.

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webhead2006 wrote:i seen folks think that over on facebook page, but my question is what would that character be doing on the kent farm, in what is likely present day scenes shooting?

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webhead2006 wrote:i wouldnt want to see his character evil at all.

webhead2006 wrote:i wouldnt want to see his character evil at all.

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Comicbookfan-V2 wrote:Even though it'll be awhile till we see an official photo of Michael Shannon as Zod I thought I post a manip pic that I just made so we can get a glimps of what we can assume what would Shannon look like as Zod!

Check it out...

He tells the mag that he recently watched Terence Stamp play Zod in Superman 2..

"I found that intimidating. He nailed it. My girlfriend was watching Superman 2 and I said "Turn it off, I can't watch, I'm not worthy!".

He also talks up his co-star Henry Cavill and says that he has been studying the comic books in preparation and has also been putting in some serious gym time..

"Every time I see him I think "There's Superman". He's got it down"

"If you're playing a General you should be fit. A General wouldn't be fat!"