Man of Steel has been shooting since way back in July, but the Zack Snyder-directed Superman film has found a way to add a new character to the lineup-- and one who may have intriguing ties to the comics. According to Variety Richard Schiff has been cast as a character called "Dr. Hamilton." That could be some average dude who just happens to have the name Hamilton, or it could mean he's this guy, Professor Emil Hamilton, who has appeared in recent Superman comics as well as the animated series as a science researchers. Some versions of the story portray him as an ally to the man from Krypton, while others have him as a villain out to destroy him.
Which version will Schiff be? The movie seems pretty stacked with villainy as it is, with Michael Shannon playing General Zod and a recent rumor about Bradley Cooper stopping by to play Lex Luthor. Then again, while Schiff is best known for playing the cranky but good-hearted Toby on The West Wing, he's got plenty of experience playing bad guys-- or at least bureaucratic guys standing in the way of what our heroes want to accomplish. It may be wishful thinking to assume any character with a relatively common last name is the same character from the comics, but if they're hiring an actor as good as Schiff, here's hoping they give him something to do.
Though we've got a lot of superheroes coming our way this summer, Superman won't be one of them-- Man of Steel isn't coming to theaters until June 14, 2013, meaning Schiff's casting is late by but no means too late. The movie stars, of course, newcomer Henry Cavill as Clark Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and the ever-intimidating Shannon as General Zod.
