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KNEEL: Zach Snyder Wants Viggo Mortensen For Superman: Man Of Steel

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (13)

2009-11-09-0aragorn.jpg

I’m not thrilled with Zach Snyder doing the next installment of Superman. He’s all flash and no flesh. His movies are frequently gorgeous, fascinating visual exercises that are bereft of any soul or storytelling ability. I’m also not excited about the prospect of another Superman film that treads the same ground. That said, if you’re gonna use General Zod… you could do a hell of a lot worse.

According to Heat Vision, Snyder and Superman overseer are seeking out Viggo Mortensen to play General Zod, the villain in Man Of Steel. Zod is a fan favorite character, and an all around megalomaniacal badass (iconically portrayed by Terrence Stamp in Superman II). A fellow Kryptonian who spent time trapped in the Phantom Zone, he wants to rule everything and crush all in his path. It’s a great character, and the only reason I’m not annoyed that he’s being used again is that hopefully they’ll give the character a bit more meat this time around.

Of course, none of this is official. Mortensen, who’s currently also in (potentially conflicting) talks for Snow White And The Huntsman, hasn’t been cast. He’s not even in talks. But he’s apparently at the top of the list for the role. Coupled with the recent announcement that Henry Cavill will play Superman, it’s solid casting. It doesn’t sell me on the film, though. Watchmen had an excellent cast, and was ultimately disappointing. The same could be said of 300, for that matter. The only cause for hope is the participation of Christopher Nolan, and he’s only there in the background.

But, if you’re gonna have someone order Superman to kneel.. who better than Mortensen?









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Comments

But...but...but he has to be Roland. I say we divide the Viggo in three, and put him in all the movies.

Posted by: figgy at February 28, 2011 10:37 AM

But they've already DONE Zod in the movies. Is there no one who can write a good Brainiac?!

Posted by: Todd at February 28, 2011 10:57 AM

I saw Viggo not long ago outside of a hotel here in London. Puffing on a cigarette, he had a bit of a paunch going on as well as scraggly long hair. I hope that's his look if he ends up in this Snydertoss.

Either way he's a badass until the end.

Posted by: zeke the pig at February 28, 2011 11:09 AM

always hateing on Watchmen

Posted by: rabbi at February 28, 2011 11:59 AM

I liked Watchmen. Short of a 12-hour, HBO-style miniseries, Snyder did the best job possible of adapting what many said could not be adapted.

And while I love this idea (Viggo is a hell of an actor), I was hoping for new ground and not retreads.

Anyone know who they got in mind for Lois Lane?

Posted by: Fredo at February 28, 2011 12:10 PM

I don't agree that Watchmen was as good as it could have been. They managed to squeeze in the necessary story bits, but there were stylistic choices in that movie that I thought were totally inappropriate for the story, and were clearly Snyder's doing.

Posted by: Todd at February 28, 2011 12:21 PM

Watchmen is bereft of life because the two main characters (Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan) are inhuman. One is a sociopath and one is a God. I would argue that the nature of the story necessarily leaves you feeling disjointed and unmoved by the events. It's the embodiment of The Comedian's great joke; none of it matters.

Posted by: superasente at February 28, 2011 12:25 PM

Actually, superasente, I would argue that Watchmen was bereft of life because it was fucking boring.

Posted by: The Other Agent Johnson at February 28, 2011 12:28 PM

My wife would agree with you, The Other Agent Johnson. Nothing I said to her mattered either.

Me: But baby, the characters flash back to The Comedian so they can review the impact his ideology has had on...
Wife: It's boring.
Me: See, his world-view is the keystone of the story, and only by evaluating his...
Wife: Boring
Me: ...Only by evaluating his nihilistic philosophy do we...
Wife: BORING! The movie is boring!
Me: *sigh* Fine.
Wife: Now go make me some popcorn.

Posted by: superasente at February 28, 2011 12:36 PM

All of what you said is true... about the graphic novel.

About the movie? Your wife is right on the fucking money.

Posted by: The Other Agent Johnson at February 28, 2011 12:39 PM

*insert dirty comment about kneeling before the Viggo*
And I have to add that I liked "Spike" as Brainiac in Smallville.
But really, I'm just not enthused about a new Superman anything. The last one is still painfully fresh in my mind.

Posted by: DeckOfficer at February 28, 2011 3:12 PM

*insert dirty comment about kneeling before the Viggo*

"Come, son of Jor-El!"

...heh...

Posted by: superasente at February 28, 2011 3:25 PM

One would think from the Superman movies that the only villains Big Blue ever had to face down was Lex Luthor and General Zod. I've said it before and I will say it again, there are other bad ass members in Superman's own Rogue Gallery, pick somebody else!

Batman would have gotten awfully dull if he only faced the Joker and Penguin all the time. Say what you will about the actual execution, but at least they're trying to have a little variety.

Brainiac, Metallo, Intergang, Parasite, ...DARKSEID for crying out loud! Just pick one other than the two that have already been taken up before. If you have a half decent writer who actually read comic books once in a while I'm sure you could put something decent together. Why bother running over the same spot in the carpet over and over again when you have an area the size of a football field to draw from?

Posted by: bleujayone at February 28, 2011 4:07 PM