Ever since Superman Returns hit the big screen, and fell with a bit of a thud, Superman fans have been wondering if/when a new movie would be released, and what it was going to look like.

The "if" question has been answered, with a "yes" and a release date of December 2012 for a movie titled Superman: Man of Steel. The movie will be directed by Zack Snyder, who helmed this past weekend's Sucker Punch and past stylized movies, including 300 and Watchmen. I think this pretty much guarantees that the new movie will look a lot different from the previous one!

Last month, we announced that the Man of Steel had a face and a name, with Henry Cavill getting the lead role. With the announcements by Warner Bros. Pictures over the course of the last four weeks, we now have Clark Kent's earthly parents, as well as the coveted role of Lois Lane.

Kevin Costner will be playing Jonathan Kent, the father who raised Clark Kent as his own son. Zack Snyder stated,

Jonathan Kent is the only father figure Clark has ever had, the man who was there to help Clark understand what he was meant to do in the world as Superman. Kevin will be able to communicate the quiet strength of this rural American man who raised the greatest super hero of all time.

Costner was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in Dances with Wolves and won Best Director and Best Picture Oscars for that movie as well.

Oscar-nominated actress Diane Lane will be playing Clark Kent's mom, Martha. Snyder was quoted as saying,

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. 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 earned her Academy Award nomination for her work in Unfaithful, a thriller with Richard Gere, which was released in 2002.

Last but not least, Warner Bros. Pictures announced yesterday that three-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams will be taking on the role of Lois Lane, the object of Clark Kent's desire. Of course, the director had something to say about this casting choice as well:

Second only to Superman himself, the question of who will play Lois Lane is arguably what fans have been most curious about. So we are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful.

Adams received her most recent Academy Award nomination for her work in The Fighter, where she plays the tough girlfriend of boxer Mickey Ward. Her other nominations were for her supporting roles in Doubt and Junebug.

We'll continue to update the Information page for Superman: Man of Steel as it becomes available. If you would like to see larger versions of the photographs above, be sure to visit the Photo Gallery page and then add the movie to your Favorite Movies list so you can keep up to date with all the latest developments!

Sources: Warner Bros. Pictures Press Releases, Internet Movie Database