Michael Shannon, Edgar Ramirez for Superman villain?

Now that the cast for The Dark Knight Rises is officially firming up (putting to bed those long-standing/never-true rumours about Cher and Eddie Murphy playing Catwoman and The Riddler respectively), the internet has turned to Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot to flex their speculative muscle.

We already know Henry Cavill will play the Man of Steel, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner will appear as Ma and Pa Kent, and that a bunch of actresses are reading for the female lead, but who will play the antagonist?

According to Deadline, Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road) is being considered by Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures to play the villain. Latino Review meanwhile hears a rumour that Edgar Ramirez (Carlos) is similarly in line for a villainous role.

Whether Shannon and Ramirez are competing for the same role is unknown. There have been rumblings that General Zod will be the film’s primary villain.

Lips are sealed on all fronts regarding the project, although Snyder confirmed that previously-rumoured villain Viggo Mortensen will not appear in the flick.

Discuss: In a hypothetical world where Zod is definitely the villain, which actor would you like to see cast in the role?