Warner Brothers has officially announced that they’ve found their General Zod, the villain in director Zack Snyder‘s upcoming take on Superman titled Man of Steel.

Snyder and WB have chosen Michael Shannon, the incredibly talented and Oscar-nominated actor who recently delivered brilliant performance after brilliant performance in the first season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

Of the announcement, 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.”

Shannon was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Revolutionary Road, and has appeared in other films such as 8 Mile, Bug, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, and The Runaways. He’s also set to play infamous serial killer Richard Kuklinski in The Iceman.

The actor joins Henry Cavill, who’s playing Clark Kent/Superman, as well as Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, and Diane Lane as Martha Kent.

[Source: /Film]