One of the stars of the Lord of the Rings movies is said to be on the top of the list to play the Superman film’s bad guy.
Superman director and producer team Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan are apparently looking at actor Viggo Mortensen to play the villainous Kryptonian, General Zod. Mortensen is most famous for his appearances as Strider/Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies.
According to sources, Snyder and Nolan consider Mortensen to be a “person of interest,” and while there are other names on the list, it’s Mortensen that the pair really wants. No talks have taken place yet, and it’s thought that Mortensen’s possible commitment to Snow White and the Huntsman – a movie he is in talks for – might interfere with his ability to be in Superman. That said, if Snyder and Nolan really want Mortensen in the movie, they will almost certainly find a way to make it work.
Zod first appeared in the Superman comics in 1961, where he was exiled to the Phantom Zone – a prison dimension created by Superman’s father, Jor-El – for trying to take over the planet Krypton. Zod’s first live-action appearance was a cameo the 1978 Superman movie that followed largely the same script as the comic, with Terrence Stamp playing Zod. The character had a much bigger role in Superman 2, where he and his lieutenants escaped the Phantom Zone and tried to take over the Earth. Zod has also appeared in the TV show, Smallville, in a variety of different guises.
Mortensen would be an interesting choice for the part, but as long as the script was right, not a bad one by any means. Of course, there’s a heck of a lot that has to happen before he appears in the movie, and it could end up being a completely different actor.
Superman: Man of Steel is scheduled for release some time next year.
Source: Heat Vision Blog
