While I did enjoy Michael Shannon in Man of Steel, I prefer Terence Stamp as General Zod. The idea of a Kryptonian who is just as strong, if not stronger, than Superman is a fascinating concept.

Even more intriguing is that, as traditionally portrayed, he arrives with two other Kryptonians, which always puts Superman at a severe disadvantage.

But like most traditional General Zod portrayals, he is hell-bent on becoming the ruler of Earth and making everyone kneel before him, just as he once wanted to do on his home planet. And for the most part, he almost achieves this.

He essentially has Superman at his mercy in the Man of Steel’s own “home,” the Fortress of Solitude.

However, Superman devises a way to expose him to red-star radiation, which renders Zod as weak as a human while Superman retains his powers. He is ultimately defeated, which I find a bit more anticlimactic than Superman’s final showdown with Zod in the DCEU.