Why Michael Shannon Prefers The Man Of Steel's Zod To The Flash's Portrayal

Michael Shannon's return to the DCU in "The Flash" wasn't the satisfying experience he hoped it would be. The actor, who first donned the mantle of General Zod in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel," told Collider during a 2023 interview that his second outing as the Kryptonian antagonist wasn't as fulfilling as the first. 

"I'm not gonna lie, ['The Flash'] wasn't quite satisfying for me, as an actor," Shannon said. "These multiverse movies are like somebody playing with action figures. It's like, 'Here's this person. Here's that person, and they're fighting!' It's not quite the in-depth character study situation that I honestly felt 'Man of Steel' was. Whether people think that's crazy or not, I don't even care. I really felt like 'Man of Steel' was actually a pretty sophisticated story. I feel like 'The Flash' is too, but it's not Zod's story. I'm basically there to present a challenge."

This statement aligns with Shannon's original impression of "The Flash," too. In an exclusive interview with Looper earlier this year, Shannon admitted that his return as General Zod in "The Flash" confused him, as it didn't make sense with the character's narrative conclusion. In that interview, too, Shannon praised Snyder and his time on "Man of Steel." He echoed a similar sentiment during a video interview with Vanity Fair, where he described the 2013 film as a culturally significant story. That said, his reluctance to return to the DC Universe was also partly based on not being familiar with certain types of superhero movie concepts.

Michael Shannon was originally reluctant to accept a role in "The Flash." He didn't understand the film's multiverse concept, which has also been prevalent in recent blockbusters such as "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." As previously mentioned, he told Looper that he was confused by the return of General Zod; however, that's only because he wasn't keeping up to date with superhero movies as a fan.

During the interview, Shannon said that he's unlikely to watch Marvel and DC movies when he's at home. He doesn't have anything against them per se, but they aren't at the top of his watchlist. Despite not being an avid watcher of these flicks, however, Shannon does enjoy making them, and this may have convinced him to play Zod again. 

Of course, his original comments about not being excited to reprise Zod are echoed by other actors who've starred in movies about multiverses. Some performers want to mix up their filmographies, and returning to old characters can be an unexciting endeavor.

Michael Shannon's not wrong about multiverse superhero films being packed with more character introductions than character development, and he's not the only actor struggling to express a certain fatigue with the situation. In 2022, Marvel released "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." While the film focuses on the titular Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the character that got the most internet buzz was Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), also known as the Scarlet Witch.

During an interview with Josh Horowitz, Olsen confessed she found the repetitive narrative structure in "Multiverse of Madness" to be a hurdle she had to overcome so that she could create a compelling performance. Both Olsen and Shannon seem to couch their criticisms in gentle language, but the undercurrent is clear. Multiverse stories are fun for audiences but not necessarily for the performers who bring them to life. 

That said, neither Olsen nor Shannon has been caught turning down their respective offers to engage with multiverse narratives. Furthermore, there are elements of superhero movies that still excite them, and Shannon is hyped about one particular performance in "The Flash."

During the aforementioned conversation with Collider, Michael Shannon bigged up Ezra Miller's outing as the titular hero in "The Flash." Shannon stated that the controversial actor steals the show in DC's newest blockbuster, and fans can look forward to a great outing from them.

"I just think Ezra is a fascinating performer and actor. I can't wait to see this performance. It's a huge challenge. I don't wanna give anything away, but what Ezra has to do in this movie is pretty crazy, and I think [they're] up for the task."

Shannon went on to say that he believes performances are the most important element of any movie, regardless of genre. Some fans will go into DC's multiversal blockbuster to witness spectacular set pieces with state-of-the-art special effects; however, Shannon gets more excited by performers bringing characters to life. "I don't care whether it's an Ingmar Bergman film or the Avengers. It's always about performance."