Law and Order SVU’s Chris Meloni in Superman: Man of Steel

According to the latest from Deadline, Chris Meloni might have made a good move when he shocked fans by leaving Law & Order: SVU because he’ll soon be seen on the big screen in Zack Snyder’s Superman: Man of Steel.

I don’t know about you, but as soon as I heard the news, I looked at that receding hairline and steely gaze and immediately thought of Lex Luthor. Unfortunately, Vulture reveals that Meloni won’t be portraying Superman’s arch-nemesis. Instead, he’ll be joining the military and playing a general. There’s no word yet on how big or small the role will be because Meloni is already practicing keeping classified information under wraps, only saying, “I can’t tell you, or I’d have to kill you,” when asked for details, but his shooting schedule gives some information away.

The former SVU star will start filming at the end of August and spend the following five months in a variety of locations that include Chicago, Vancouver, and Edwards Air Force Base. With that kind of travel put into it, it’s pretty safe to say this won’t be a ‘blink and you miss it’ walk-on part.

Of course, even when it concerns DC’s most popular hero, you can’t talk to Meloni and not ask about the end of his 12-year run on SVU. “I feel very blessed to have been a part of it,” Meloni said. “I loved the people, every person. I loved going to work. And yet with all that, we did the best we could to try to make things work for everyone, and in the end it was just better for me to keep moving and I have no regrets.”

The guy who used to go by the name of ‘Stabler’ isn’t the only new face that’s hooking up with Snyder’s Superman reboot. Russell Crowe recently signed on as Jor-El, and there’s a good chance that Julia Ormond will become Superman’s mom.