Why, for the love of Zod, it’s Michael Shannon in a Zod-damned motion capture suit!

General Zod portrayer Michael Shannon was photographed on the set of Superman: Man of Steel recently wearing what could be a really fashion-forward outfit, but is more likely a motion capture suit, indicating, of course, that there will be a CGI component to his character and the film at large. This is probably the least surprising news ever for a Zack Snyder film, but it’s a slow news day, so let’s make a humungous deal out of it, shall we?

When asked about the CGI component, Shannon originally dodged the question, but those little pingpong balls offered a window to a truth not even the Boardwalk Empire star could deny. After deflecting the question in an MTV interview, he came clean with Moviefone. Because who could lie to Moviefone?

Yeah, it’s one of the most humiliating garments that exists in the known universe, yes. It’s very tight. It has a variety of different colors and shapes on it and it makes you feel like you’re the court jester. And it’s funny because when I met with Zack we were talking about it before it started and he mentioned that there was going to be a lot of CGI, or whatever. I said, ‘Just don’t make me wear one of those silly suits.’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, don’t worry, I know exactly what you’re talking about.’ I was like, ‘It’s going to be really hard for me to be intimidating if I have to wear one of those silly suits.’ He said, ‘I totally understand.’ Then I showed up and he’s like, ‘Dude, I swear to God, it’s going to be so bad ass when we done. Trust me, it’s going to be wicked.’ And, you know, people understand and you get used to it. The first day, you feel like you’re getting rushed by a fraternity… and then it wears off the next day. Because I’m not the only one wearing one – there are other people wearing them, too.

You held out as long as you could, Shannon. Moviefone has ways of making you talk.

“There was a big, giant search for Lois …  For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it. It goes back to what I’ve said about Superman and making him really understandable for today. What’s important to us is making him relevant and real and making him empathetic to today’s audience so that we understand the decisions he makes.  That applies to Lois as well. She has to be in the same universe as him.”

Props to Snyder for putting more thought into this casting decision than “hot chicks are cool” like he did in Watchmen. I think Adams is a great choice for the role, in that it’s difficult to characterize without using words like “plucky.” Hopefully Adams won’t let the par drive her insane like Margot Kidder did. (LA Times)

He doesn’t have the star-power or name recognition of a Viggo Mortensen, who before declining the part (maybe he thinks he’s too good to be a Superman villain!) was previously rumored as being sought for General Zod, but he according to some he does have the talent. Anyway, right now it’s just a rumor, but a plausible one. We’ll see what happens between now and the movie’s December, 2012 release date. (via The Latino Review)

It’s being reported that Costner has been officially cast as Jonathan “Dadman” Kent, opposite Diane Lane as Martha Kent, along with Britishy Brit Henry Cavill as the cape-wearing flying dude himself. Superman: Man of Steel has even been added to Costner’s Wikipedia filmography, and the Wikipedia is always right, all the time.

The casting move gives the superhero action film broader appeal. Even though this movie will undoubtedly be aimed at precious teens and young adults, old folk money is still technically considered legal tender in America.

Warner Bros. is currently hoping to POW this into theaters December 2012. (Deadline)

All goofarounds aside, director Bryan Singer was probably way too reverent to 70s Superman in his recent take on the flying man in spandex who’s afraid of green rocks. He also could have had Superman throw the occassional punch. Reboot director Snyder will take a thankfully bizarro approach to Singer’s. Here’s what he said in a recent interview with the LA Times.

Literally, the one thing that everyone can start to think about is that we’re making a movie that finally goes with the approach that there’s been no other Superman movies. If you look at Batman Begins, there’s that structure, there’s the canon that we know about and respect but on other hand there’s this approach that pre-supposes that there haven’t been any other movies.  In every aspect of design and of story, the whole thing is very much from that perspective of respect the canon but don’t be a slave to the movies.

Our Superman, he’s got things to figure out but he’s a physical cat.

So, you heard Snyder. Everybody: start to think about what you just read.

Batman Begins is certainly a good template for any superhero film, or Blade Runner-y film even. It’s good that Snyder won’t stay too close to that source material, because god knows we don’t need another Watchman. Luckily, collaborator Christopher Nolan is watching the watchman, who in this case is Snyder. (/Film)

Hopefully, Martha will love and guide a young Clark Kent into his role as Superman a littl faster than, say, 10 seasons of a television show. Yeah, it’s awesome to get quality actors into these talky-talk roles, but what about confirmation on the villains? And who has been cast as Explosion #37? Still no word from Warner Bros. on that, though we do have a quote about Martha Kent from Snyder:

“This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman,” Snyder said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination.”

Way to put a cap on Martha’s imagination abilities, Snyder. In the comics, she’s very imaginitive, and in the DC universe Martha directs a little movie called Owls of Ga’hoole. So there.

Superman leaps over tall buildings and into theaters December 2012. (Hollywood Reporter)

Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) may play General Zod, the villainous scientist who kindly requests we kneel before him. Zod can be seen in 1980′s Superman II, where he gets trapped inside a deadly rhombus with his buddies. Mortensen is not a lock for the Christopher Nolan produced reboot, and the actor also might be starring in one of the 5,000 different Snow White films that are casting. However, if they offer him the part, I’m sure Mortensen will offer his sword… (Hollywood Reporter)

Less amusing speculation is that he would be playing a bad guy as a follow-up to his decently-reviewed performance in the serial killer thriller Mr. Brooks. I’m not too hot on my Superman villains, but isn’t Parasite kind of a doughy white guy? And besides, who better to play someone who feeds off the talents of others than Kevin Costner (sorry, I was up for the role of Elliot Ness in The Untouchables and I still haven’t gotten over it)? We’ll see if this turns out to be anything other than an empty rumor. I personally think he’d be a better fit for the inevitable Namor: The Sub-Mariner movie. (The Playlist)

With limey bastard Henry Cavill as Supes, the girls up for this big mystery part are Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Rosamund Pike (Surrogates) and Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League). It’s hard to say who’d be right for the part, because the role is more mysterious sounding than The Phantom Zone. They’re all sufficiently blonde and bombshellish, so all we know for now is that the parade of beautiful women continues in-and-out of Snyder’s office. Zack Snyder, you tricky cad. (FirstShowing)

Unfortunately for people who don’t care about an age-appropriate Lois, Kristen Stewart has taken herself out of contention. The NY Daily News reports that Stewart declined to read because she wants to take on smaller projects. Translation: she’s tired of super-fans creeping outside her bedroom window.

Two names that didn’t appear on the casting list originally are Wonder Woman lookalikes Olivia Wilde and Mila Kunis. Makes sense to include them. Both are on career highs and tend to end up on every casting shortlist. So, let’s go ahead and add Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson to the list now so we don’t need to write about it later. After that, we eliminate all these ladies we can open it up to overseas. (via The Playlist)

Aside from baseball, apple pie, and supporting Egyptian dictators, what’s more American than superheroes? These popular crime-fighters were invented right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A., and since their inception, they’ve continued to fight for our way of life. However, now that our way of life is under attack from radical foreigners and home-grown socialists, so too are our beloved superheroes. With the announcement of each new new superhero film I am continually infuriated by the casting decisions. Instead of opting for a talented American actor, as God himself intended, the Hollywood elite gives the role to some loathsome immigrant whose breath reeks of kidney pie or Billy tea.

Many people, including my parole officer, have called my views paranoid and misguided. But the truth is, if you’re not paranoid, you’re crazy. Besides, you’d have to be blind not to see that the very fabric of our society is being torn apart by the outsourcing of our superheroes. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the following list. Then we’ll see who’s the “xenophobic nut bag.”

The Green lantern

Speaking of Canadians, Wolverine is about the only superhero I can think of who comes from the Great White North. But when it came time to cast for the film, Hollywood went with Aussie actor Hugh Jackman. I hope the people of Canada (all 500 of them) were as outraged as I was. While I’m not big fan the Canucks, or mutants, for that matter, at least they’re from this continent. That’s more than I can say for Hugh.

Canadian Brendan Fraser would have done well in the role. Very well, indeed. OK, not really, but what about Scott Speedman?

Professor X

As long as we’re on the topic of mutants, let’s talk about Professor X. Personally, I think he’s a meddlesome subversive and a fifth columnist who wants to overtake our society from within. I’d like nothing more than to see him and his kind rounded up and deported. But it’s an internal issue for us, as Americans, to decide. And we certainly don’t need any British actors like Patrick Stewart poking their noses into it.

Stanley Tucci could have easil taken on the role instead.

Batman

Although technically not a superhero, since he has no superpowers, Batman is able to keep up with his more gifted friends through sheer force of will. He’s smart, cunning, and totally self-sufficient. In short, he is the very embodiment or the rugged individualism that made this country great. That’s why it disgusts me to see an Englishman playing Bruce Wayne. But should I expect anything less when a noted limey, Christopher Nolan, is directing? Tim Burton must be rolling over in his grave.

Why not Jeremy Renner. Maybe he’s a little old, but he doesn’t sound like a pissed off cookie monster when he talks.

The Punisher

Like Batman, the Punisher doesn’t need superpowers in his bloody quest for justice. But unlike Batman, he has no qualms about blowing away criminals. After all, there’s nothing more American than killing a petty thug with a barrage of bullets. However, seeing Irish actor Ray Stevenson in the role of Frank Castle was enough to make the Statue of Liberty cry. In fact, two of the last three Punisher films have cast foreigners in the lead (Dolph Lundgren being the original). I guess The Rock was busy.

Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield, who plays Spider-Man in the upcoming reboot, is technically an American. While his father was born here, his mother was from the U.K., which makes him a dual citizen, holding both a U.S. and U.K. passport. I’m sick and tired of these English women coming to the U.S. to have anchor babies. It’s bad enough our hospitals are being overrun with Brits, but now they want to take our high-paying superhero jobs as well?

Besides, Alden Ehrenreich was the superior choice. I don’t know who he is, but I know he’s not a foreigner!

The Green Hornet

By all accounts, The Green Hornet was awful. But I’ll never know for sure, since I’m not going to pay money to see some fat, pot-smoking Canadian (Seth Rogen) tarnish another American icon. Unless they are making a movie version of “The Red Green Show,” Canadians need not apply.

Hell, Jeff Garlin would have been just as good a choice.

Thor

When it came time to cas Thor, producers set their sites on Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. While in theory, I should be upset about this, I’m actually fine with it. After all, I’d rather an American actor not take part in a film that glorifies some filthy pagan god. Best to leave that to the Aussies. Since they all descend from criminals anyway, they’ve probably already lost their souls.

Superman

Superman is the most iconic of all the superheroes. He was born on another planet, so he’s technically a foreigner. But the Man of Steel was raised in the heartland, and quickly adopted our country as his own and assimilated seamlessly into our culture. You won’t hear him going by his bizarre sounding name, Kal-El, or demanding that they speak Kryptonian at the DMV.

So why is it that when it came time to cast the man who fights for truth, justice, and the American way, Hollywood chose to go with an actor who is a known subject of the British crown, the very nation that tried to strangle our infant government in its crib. Not only that, but Henry Cavill actually plays a British nobleman in Showtime’s, “The Tudors,” a period piece that takes place before the United States was even a county. How Un-American is that?

Captain America

The last bastion of hope in the superhero pantheon is Captain America, who will be played by American actor Chris Evans in the upcoming film. Thankfully, Evens was born in Massachusetts, the very birthplace of our great nation. But if this seems too good to be true, it is. Although Cap is at least played by an American, the film is being shot in England. Yes, the movie takes place in England during World War II, but that doesn’t mean we have to film there. That’s what sets are for. I have a sneaking suspicion that the abundance of cheap labor in the form of cockney orphans had more to do with the choice than any need for realism. The Star-Spangled Avenger deserves better.

Superman rescues mini Duncan Jones. It doesn't matter why.

Forgive the pun but Moon helped rocket Duncan Jones to the top of many best director lists. It was only natural that the offers would come rolling in. Including offers that Jones was too chickenshit to accept. He tells ComingSoon:

“I was thrilled to be on that short list. For me, that was enough. I don’t know if I would be ready for that leap yet. I did have a meeting with Chris and he’s a fantastic guy and seemed to have really enjoyed ‘Moon,’ so there was some legitimate interest in me. I think, maybe, I’m not quite ready for that scale of project and that scale of expectation from an audience that is already existing and is waiting to see the next generation of ‘Superman’ film. I don’t know. It’s a hard one. I’m a huge Superman fan and Bizarro Superman fan. And also a big ‘Judge Dredd’ fan, which was another one that came my way. Those are two very different scales of projects. Superman was so big that I think I was a little intimidated by it and sort of backed out. ‘Judge Dredd’ I really thought about and it ended up not being right for me because I had such strong feelings and opinions on what I wanted that film to be. Although I really like what they’re going to do with it, it’s not the film that I was going to make. So that one wasn’t going to work out.”

I can understand not wanting to touch Superman with a ten-foot pole. It comes with a whole set of expectations and no matter how good it is, it will not be embraced by the fans. To see what I mean, bookmark this article and read it again the day after the Spider-Man reboot is released. You’ll have a new found sense of perspective.

^{Superman rescues mini Zod. It doesn’t matter why.}

Yesterday’s announcement that Zack Snyder would helm the Christopher Nolan-godfathered Superman sent the movie nerds into an asthmatic tailspin. Inhalers were clutched, man-boobs heaved. Since then, details about the film have been popping up all over.

First up, Variety spoke to Snyder, who says it’s unlikely Brandon Routh will reprise his dual role of Superman/Clark Kent from Bryan Singer‘s film. "We’re looking in another direction," was the official comment. "Bitch, is you crazy?," was the non-official comment.

Secondly, The Hollywood Reporter is Hollywood reporting that the villian who will be throwing entire buildings at Superman in the new film will be Superman 2‘s General Zod. Originally played by Terrence Stamp, but hopefully played by Liam Neeson in this version. Has anyone tried to get him on the phone yet? It’s not like he says no to movie roles. The man would hand out flyers in a chicken suit if the price was right.

_{Superman rescues mini Snyder. It doesn’t matter why.}

Zack Snyder is the lucky S.O.B. who has landed the directing gig for the Christopher Nolan-produced Superman: The Man of Steel. The Watchman and Sucker Punch director beat out Tony Scott, Jonathan Liebesman, Duncan Jones, Matt Reeves, Darren Aronofsky, Robert Zemeckis, and Nolan’s own brother Jonah, who wrote the script. Daaaaaamn, that’s cold, Chris. He’s your brother. Your brother!

Family squabbles aside, Warner Bros. is a huge fan of Snyder. He’s already directed three films for them, if you count the animated owl movie, and has proven he can handle major tent poles. Will Superman look awesome? Almost definitely. Will there be much emotion underneath the gloss and slow motion? We can only hope that Christopher and Jonah Nolan educate him in the way of story. That is if Jonah can quit giving him the raspberry for stealing his gig. (Deadline)

Director Darren Aronofsky is on the list of possible diectors for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Superman project, Heat Vision is reporting. Aronofsky joins a group that already includes Duncan Jones, Tony Scott and Matt Reeves.

But with Aronofsky in the running, there is also talk that another director has been ruled out…

Ben Affleck, who is soaring afte The Town became both a critical and commercial hit, and who actually played superman (or at least the man who became known for him, George Reeves) in Hollywoodland, took a meeting about possibly taking the job, but has apparently moved on to other things.

Something tells me that Affleck moving on to other things before hearing back from the producers is a lot like me moving on with my love life before hearing back from Salma Hayek…or those lawyers, of hers. (Empire Online)

Mad Men‘ star Jon Hamm is a serious contender for the lead in the planned Superman reboot, Latino Review is reporting. His physique, strong jaw, and slicked black hair make him a natural fit for the character. However, Hamm himself expressed reservations about playing a superhero in a recent interview with MTV.

"It’s a tricky road to go down with some of those heroes, because they’re not flawed. Superman is Superman – he’s invincible, so where’s the drama?"

Where’s the drama with superheroes? Obviously this guy hasn’t seen a little film called Fantastic Four: The Rise Of The Silver Surfer! If he had, he’d understand the ridiculousness of his statement. I hope the producers of the new Superman reboot do a careful vetting before they jump into bed with this guy.

_{Superman rescues Mini Nolan. It doesn’t matter why.}

Warner Bros. must be supplying Christopher Nolan with an endless supply of whores, drugs, or fish and chips. The director of The Dark Knight and the upcoming WB film Inception has decided to nurture the new Superman movie that’s in development and let it suck from the voluptuous teet of his creativity. Nolan is not writing or directing the film, but instead has taken on the role of "godfather," a title I hope appears in the credits. Developing Superman Returns was such a quagmire for WB it’s no wonder they’re turning to their golden boy for advice, insight, scribbles he wasn’t planning on using for future projects. An insider at the studio said, "We know what we don’t want to do. But we don’t know what we want to do." That sounds like every Friday night conversation I had with my friends in high school. Result: we all decided to stay home, much like the audience will for this film. Shut up, I had friends! 

Nolan is also actively working on the Batman 3 script with brother Jonathan Nolan and blood brother David Goyer. Nolan came up with a story idea, probably while clipping his nails whilst dropping a deuce, and the team hopes to finish a draft during post-production on Inception. It looks like SJ writer Wookie Johnson has some egg on his face this morning. The proverbial and the scrambled. The former for saying yesterday that Batman 3 scripts rumors were bull hockey, the latter for sticking his face in a plate of scrambled eggs. The man’s a barbarian, folks. (Deadline)

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