Zack Snyder to direct Superman; Villain Revealed

Well look at who just won the Superman sweepstakes. Zack Snyder, fan favorite director of such comic book themed hits as 300 and Watchmen is Warner Brothers' choice to helm the Christopher Nolan-produced Superman flick.  Snyder's name was on a short list released not long ago, reportedly of Nolan's personal selections for the job.

Before going any further, let me just say that I'm a huge fan of Snyder's work. Starting from Dawn of the Dead and stretching on to Legend of the Guardians, he's proven to me finally that he's more than just a guy who does slow motion action shots fantastically. Superman is a character who can't just be about heat vision and super speed. He's got to be framed in just the right way and worked into a modern context. He's a superhero who must stand for something, otherwise the inherent cheesiness of his character will stand front and center. In other words, any Superman movie must be about more than just punching some guy in the face. I think Snyder has proven he can capture that in an effective way.

Snyder admits he's been involved with the project since last March when he and Nolan met at the ShoWest conference. He told the LA Times....

“I can’t say why they came to me other than the fact that they know I have a fondness for the character and a real desire to understand him and present him to a new audience,” Synder said. “The challenge is huge but you know with Chris and Emma and Debbie I have a lot of people I can rely on. And Chris and David[Goyer] have given this the shape with a great story. It is a hard character to crack.”

So with the director nailed down, the script by David Goyer in place, the final question is exactly who Supes will be doing battle with.  According to THR, the answer is simple: General Zod.

Most will remember Zod for his portrayal by Terence Stamp in Superman: The Movie and in Superman 2. Zod was originally an insane Kryptonian and leader of their military forces who has an insane hatred for Superman. Just shout out "Kneel befor Zod!!" in a crowded theater and see the reaction you get. Actually you'll probably get pelted with popcorn and Junior Mints.

Good idea not starting with Lex Luthor. It's essential to have Lex be a part of the film, but not as the primary villain just yet. His intellect and hatred for Superman must be established and made strong. One of Lex Luthor's greatest reasons for hating Superman is that he genuinely fears being of his power running loose on the planet. Hopefully they'll play up that angle as he watches the two powerhouse Kryptonians doing battle.