I guess no one has seen this?

https://www.slashfilm.com/man-of-ste...g-david-goyer/

For anyone wondering if there was an even remotely possible alternative to Clark killing Zod that existed within the continuity of the film, but simply was not used. The answer is yes, there was. The reasoning for the writers not taking that option was because they likened Superman to military or a cop, and felt like after their big 9/11 battle it would've been a "cop out" for Clark to come up with this solution. I don't agree, but I also didn't write the film.

David Goyer (writer of Man of Steel): "The idea was that Superman would – there was one of those sort of cryopods on the ship that ends up becoming the Fortress of Solitude that he’s able to put Zod back into and then throw out into space."