Schiff is a tried and true character actor that you've no doubt seen many times over the last twenty-five years.  Though he has literally dozens of film credits, including an appearance as John Doe's lawyer late in Se7en, he's definitely most well-known for his role as Toby Ziegler on the NBC series The West Wing, a role that won him a Primetime Emmy.

According to Variety, Schiff has been cast in Man of Steel as a character who goes by the name of Dr. Hamilton.  In the DC Comics mythology, Professor Hamilton is a fairly regular standby, one who has jumped back and forth between being an ally of Superman's and an enemy, as dictated by the needs of any given story.  As an ally, Hamilton frequently provides Supes will technological assets to help him out.

Hamilton has been affiliated with the U.S. government in at various times, too.  We know that this new Superman movie will heavily feature the military, with both Harry Lennix and Christopher Meloni playing military brass, so perhaps that's how Dr. Hamilton will figure in the new movie's story.

That story was conjured up by Christopher Nolan and his Batman Begins co-writer David S. Goyer, who wrote earlier drafts of the Man of Steel screenplay.  Zack Snyder, the director behind 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch, is holding the directorial reigns on this one, with his wife Deborah Snyder and Nolan spouse Emma Thomas acting as producers. 

Brit Henry Cavill is the man donning Superman's tights and Clark Kent's glasses, while Amy Adams plays his one true love, Lois Lane.  Michael Shannon and Antje Traue are on board as Kryptonian bad guys, with Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer showing up as Kal-El's biological parents.  Laurence Fishburne plays Daily Planet editor Perry White, and Ma and Pa Kent are portrayed by Diane Lane and Kevin Costner.

Man of Steel arrives in theaters on June 14, 2013.