Superman: Man Of Steel's Michael Shannon talks General Zod

Michael Shannon admits that Terence Stamp's General Zod made an impression on him when he was younger. He's not letting that get to him, though.

“I'm not going to impersonate Terence Stamp,” he told MTV while discussing Superman: Man Of Steel . “I'm not going to have a British accent or anything.”

“I'm still getting my foot into the pool, you know? I just started working on it and all I can say is it's very well written and there are a lot of great opportunities to reinvent it for myself. The challenge is for me to do that.”

Anyone who's seen Shannon's turn as a driven, God-bothering federal agent in Boardwalk Empire knows he's up to the task.

“There's nothing holding me back and I think they're counting on me to give my interpretation so I'll do the best I can,” he added.

So what about the suit that has been snapped by the paparazzi?

“Those are actually my street clothes. I don't know why they're taking those pictures,” he deadpanned.