Michael Shannon is Zod... Plus, James Bond is Superman's Daddy!

I'll admit, that second part is a bit of a tease. I didn't necessarily mean one of the Bonds will be Jor-El in Snyder's upcoming MAN OF STEEL. I meant he is, or rather was Jor-El. Sorry to mislead you.

Which bond, you ask?

Why, it's George Lazenby, of course, the most misunderstood of all the Bonds. Personally, I feel he was always a bit underrated. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE stands today as one of the best of the Bond films. Some will vehemently oppose that statement, but I rest by it. Apparently, Lazenby played Jor-El in a second season episode of the 80's series SUPERBOY. I remember watching it as a kid, but have only been able to see the first season since subsequent seasons still exist only in bootlegs. 

I'm really curious if Jor-El has a place in the new film. I hear there will be krypton scenes, so I would assume he will be prominently featured. There's a rumor that Daniel Day Lewis might be in the running, and part of me would want nothing more than for that to be true.  That, or (again) Sean Connery. I just want him to do one more film. A good one. That way, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN won't stand as his final film. 

Anyways, enjoy this bit of Superman weirdness...

Now... about Michael Shannon being cast in the role of General Zod.

It pleases me. It feels more right than when Jude Law was bandied about the internet as Zod years ago. Shannon has a good face for Zod. He's a little scary. Have you seen BOARDWALK EMPIRE?  He's intense in that show, and his turn as Kim Fowley in THE RUNAWAYS was the best part about that film (which felt like a string of meaningless montages). 

Will he be Better than Terrence Stamp. His Zod is a total classic, and his take on the character is why SUPERMAN II is the best live action Superman film so far. 

Sure, it gave Zod some weird powers that Superman has never apparently tapped into, and it never really explained how in the hell Clark and Lois make it back to civilization from the Fortress of Solitude after he gives up his powers. They flew in- did he have a helicopter up there? Is there a North Pole bus stop I'm unaware of? 

But you know what? Terrence Stamp plays Zod so masterfully, that all of those flaws are forgivable. I'll even forget that expanding saran wrap logo net that Superman somehow pulls off his uniform.

I just like the idea of Zod. I recently read SUPERMAN: FOR TOMORROW, and was very pleased to see Zod pop up. To me, Zod is the perfect villain for Superman. He represents a foe on equal footing. I can't wait to see a clash between these two characters on the big screen again. I was never fully satisfied with how the final battle took place in SUPERMAN II. I always thought it should have been more like the final battle between Neo and Smith in MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Two unstoppable forces meeting with great impact.

Some wanted a different villain. Should it have been Brainiac? Darkseid? Parasite (a personal fave of mine due to how he was handled in the animated series in the 90's)?

What do you think?

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