Will he play foe or ally?

Last time we heard from actor Richard Schiff, he had joined Once Upon a Time in a high profile role as Snow White’s father and The Evil Queen’s husband, connecting the two fairy tale archenemies. Now, Schiff has joined another high profile engagement as he takes on the role of Dr. Emil Hamilton in the upcoming Superman reboot Man of Steel. But, it’s the fact he may be supporting a recurring rumor that has the interest of a lot of people.

For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Hamilton is described as Superman’s “scientific advisor” and later adversary, as he becomes the villain Ruin. He also joined the villainous Society formed by Alexander Luthor Jr. after the DC event Infinite Crisis. Emil was portrayed as a minor supporting character and ally to Clark Kent in Smallville, but the reboot could have him shifting other ways.

The Playlist speculates that Hamilton’s involvement could help solidify the rumor that Bradley Cooper has joined the film as Lex Luthor. Mostly, this is due to Hamilton’s beginnings. Hamilton initially creates gadgets to attack Superman, and he invests a heavy amount of research to attack the new hero who has appeared in Metropolis.

Lex Luthor then appears, buying up the gadgets and research, and claiming the inventions to be his own, causing Hamilton to go mad. So, if all reported about Luthor’s small roles is true, this could be a great way to introduce him as a future foe to Supes.

Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, and Russell Crowe, is currently filming in Vancouver, and is set or released in June 14th, 2013.