As first reported by Deadline, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" actor Christopher Meloni will join the "Man Of Steel" cast in an unspecified role. While the initial report simply indicated that he would play a "major role" in the film, Meloni later told Vulture that he will play a general in the military and dismissed rumors that he would become the new face of Superman's arch enemy, Lex Luthor.

Meloni surprised "Law & Order" fans last month by announcing that the 12th season of "S.V.U." would be his last, though it's hard to argue with a decision that puts him in line for a film in which he'll act alongside such notable thespians as Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Julia Ormond, and Diane Lane.

This isn't Meloni's first foray into the comic book movie world, either. Before Ryan Reynolds brought DC's ring-wielding hero Hal Jordan to the big screen in "Green Lantern," Meloni voiced the character in the 2009 animated feature "Green Lantern: First Flight."

Meloni will reportedly begin work on "Man Of Steel" at the end of August, and will be on set for five months at locations including Chicago, Vancouver, and Edwards Air Force Base.

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