Warner Bros. announced today that Michael Shannon has joined the growing cast of Zack Snyder's Superman reboot, Man of Steel, as the Kryptonian big bad General Zod.

Says Snyder:

"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."

He's got some big shoes to fill, following in Terence Stamp's footsteps, but there's nothing about this new Superman movie that isn't daunting, from replacing the iconic Christopher Reeve to escaping the ghosts of failure from Superman III and IV (oh and Superman Returns - almost forgot), and in the wake of Sucker Punch some are questioning the choice of Snyder as director.

But nothing worth doing is easy. Zod's an iconic villain and a great choice, and the fact that casting is progressing so speedily on Man of Steel has this Superman fan (cautiously) excited.