Viggo Mortensen on Warners' Radar for 'Superman' Villain (Exclusive)

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Now that British hunk Henry Cavill is set to play the Man of Steel, the search is on the fill out the rest of the cast of Warner Bros.' big-budget Superman reboot.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that producer Christopher Nolan and director Zack Snyder are zeroing in on an intriguing actor to play the villain: Viggo Mortensen.

Mortensen, who is still in negotiations for Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman, is said to be at the top of the list to play General Zod, the evil and super-powered scientist who was portrayed by Terrence Stamp in 1980's Superman II. If Mortensen's Snow White deal doesn't close, that would potentially free him up to make Superman. Or Universal and Warner Bros. could work out his schedule and enable him to do both.

Sources say no talks have commenced and that Mortensen is just a "person of interest," much like Kevin Costner is for the role of Jonathan Kent. The actors aren't the only ones considered for their respective roles, though they are the ones most seriously talked about.

Snyder is in the midst of meeting actors for not only the role of Zod and Kent, but the three female parts well. Given the Nolan pedigree with the Batman films and the tenpole nature of a Superman film, the roles are considered some of the hottest and most-desired in town. 

Warner Bros. had no comment.