NEWS: Superman: The Man of Steel Casting Round-Up

Zack Synder's reboot of the Superman franchise - Superman: The Man of Steel - has been quietly underway for some time, so now with the recent announcement of the principle leads secured, we felt it was time we took a closer look at this upcoming movie.

Penned by David S. Goyer (Blade, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and the powerhouse duo of Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas -  of  Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises fame - on board as Producers, the movie is being directed by Zack (Watchmen, 300) Synder. That's some serious comicbook-to-movie chops and shows how much weight DC are putting behind the project.

It was announced in January that The Tudors' Henry Cavill would be stepping into the Man of Steel's red boots. Although not an immediately recognisable actor, it's worth noting that Christoper Reeves had few credits to his name before taking on the role that made him a household name.

Cavill will be joined by Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Interestingly, Adams previously appeared in an episode of the Superman - The Early Years show, Smallville. Adams is probably best known for her roles in Julie and Julia, RomCom Leap Year and TV's The Office.

From the casting, we can also garner a few clues about the movie's plot: for example, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane have been cast as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Superman's adoptive parents on Earth. Given the ages of both actors, it's perfectly plausible for them to appear as the ''young'' Kents in scenes depicting their discovery of Kal-El upon his arrival on Earth, plus in later scenes as he grows-up. I'd therefore hazard a guess that this movie - unlike Superman Returns - will feature a retelling of Superman's origins.

Interestingly, it was announced earlier this week that Michael Shannon (Jonah Hex, Boardwalk Empire) will join the cast in the role of General Zod. Given the popularity of Superman II - which featured Zod as the lead antagonist - perhaps Warner Bros. are hoping to recapture that success.

Although filming has yet to begin, Warner Bros. has already announced that this movie will be part of the lead-up to their Justice League super-movie, scheduled for release in 2013. Superman: The Man of Steel is due for release in 2012.