Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road, Jonah Hex) has been cast as General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Superman: Man of Steel.

It follows weeks of rumour-mongering as to who was going to take on the Kryptonian rogue.

In a press release, Snyder said: "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."

The question is, of course, can Shannon pull off a performance to rival the mighty Terence Stamp, who played the role in Superman and Superman II?