Idk; I mean if Zod had arrived at the same time that a baby Kal-el did, it's hard to believe that the world wouldn't have been under his control by the time Clark was even 10 years old. To think that Zod wouldn't have made his move for the next 20 years or so (when Clark would have aged into adulthood by then) seems more hard to believe than anything else.
Ok. How's this.
Movie opens with Jor El vs Zod. Jor El is wearing the traditional battle suit of the House of EL (which we will know as the Superman costume.)
Jor El defeats Zod but Zod escapes. (Imagine Russell Crowe in Superman armor, fighting Michael Shannon.
)
Zod and his cohorts are banished to the Zone.
Kal El arrives in a larger spacecraft, that included objects such as the Zone projector and the House of EL ancestral armor.
The US Gov and General Lane capture every part of the Kryptonian spacecraft, with the exception of little Kal El, who is found by the Kents.
Over the years, General Lane and his task force , led by Lexcorp CEO, Lex Luthor, have been studying the Kryptonian artifacts they found many years ago.
Suddenly, they accidentally activate the Zone and out comes Zod and Faora, and all hell breaks lose.
Clark is forced to reveal himself to the world, but he wears no costume. (Prior to this, he has been doing all the Birthright style rescues, etc.)
Eventually, he locates the Kryptonian objects the government had possessed all these years, including his father's battle suit (Superman armor) and the Zone projector.
Superman, now in his suit, uses the projector and the assistance of Luthor, to trick Zod back into the zone.
Afterward, Luthor and General Lane double cross Superman, and attempt to put him down, but they fail.
The movie ends with Lois writing a story that Superman may not be the alien menace he has been portrayed to be.