It’s been a while since we brought you any casting news from Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot Man Of Steel , but today we can reveal that The West Wing ’s Richard Schiff has signed on to play “Dr. Hamilton”.
Described by Variety as Superman’s “scientific advisor”, a kind of Q figure if you will, Schiff’s role looks on the surface to be a mere bit-part, fleshing out an already impressive ensemble cast.
However, a bit of digging into the character’s past might suggest otherwise. Indeed, the comic books link Dr. Hamilton very closely with the character of Lex Luthor, who sent the good Doctor spiralling into madness when he bought up his research and passed it off as his own.
More recent comics have also cast Hamilton in a villainous role, which casts a question mark over the nature of Schiff’s involvement. There has also been speculation that Hamilton’s presence points to the involvement of Luthor, with Bradley Cooper rumoured to have signed on in secret to play Superman’s seminal foe.
However, Snyder is remaining tight-lipped at present, meaning we’ll just have to wait until the film’s US release on 14 June 2013 to know for sure…
