General Zod is one of many DC Universe characters who will return in The Flash and Michael Shannon has been confirmed to reprise his role as the terrifying Kryptonian. However, the Bullet Train star revealed he prefers the version of Zod who appeared in Man of Steel.
Michael Shannon Compares The Flash To Man of Steel
Michael Shannon first played General Zod in 2013's Man of Steel where the character was killed by Superman. However, Zod is somehow brought back in The Flash to once again terrorize the world.
Shannon actually got Zack Snyder's blessing to appear in The Flash but he also told Collider that he isn't a fan of the new version of Zod.
"I'm not gonna lie, it 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," he added.
"Whether people think that's crazy or not, I don't even care," Shannon concluded.
Michael Shannon's criticism isn't necessarily a bad thing. "I really felt like Man of Steel was actually a pretty sophisticated story," he explained.
"I feel like The Flash is too, but it's not Zod's story," Shannon added. "I'm basically there to present a challenge."
It certainly makes sense considering that Zack Snyder gave Zod a whole backstory in Man of Steel. But since the character's story has already been established in the other film, it would be unnecessary to explore it even more in The Flash when there is already so much going on.
The Flash is directed by Andy Muschietti and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen. The movie also features Sasha Calle, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue, and Michael Keaton.
The Flash will finally hit theaters on June 16, 2023.
Related: Sasha Calle Wants To Continue Playing Supergirl in James Gunn's DCU
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