Diane Lane to Play 'Superman's' Mom Martha Kent

Diane Lane will play Martha Kent in Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman movie.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures said late Wednesday that the actress is set as "the only mother Clark Kent has ever known."

"This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman," Snyder said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination."

Lane will star with Henry Cavill, who was recently announced as the new Clark Kent/Superman.

As far as other roles, Kevin Costner is a "person of interest" for the part of Jonathan Kent, while Viggo Mortensen is on Snyder's radar to play General Zod.

There hasn’t been any official movement on those roles; Mortensen may even be flying away from the Superman orbit. The actor was in negotiations to star in Universal's Snow White and the Huntsman, and after hitting a bumpy patch last week, looks to be nearing the final stretch of that particular dealmaking, which would see him filming later this year.

Lane earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2002 drama Unfaithful. She most recently starred in the family hit Secretariat and next stars in the HBO feature Cinema Verite, opposite Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini.

The movie, set for a December 2012 releae, is produced by Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Deborah Snyder.

The screenplay is being written by David S. Goyer based on a story by Goyer and Nolan. Thomas Tull and Lloyd Phillips are serving as executive producers.