Michael Shannon Says ‘It Wasn’t Completely Satisfying’ Returning As General Zod On ‘The Flash’: It’s Like ‘Playing With Action Figures’
When “The Flash” hits theaters next weekend, comic book fans will be treated to a litany of cameos from returning DC stars. Both Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck are reprising their iterations of Batman, and Nicolas Cage will finally get a chance to suit up as Superman. Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” will also be represented, as Michael Shannon will return as the villainous General Zod.
In a new interview with ColliderShannon shared some thoughts about her return to the DC Extended Universe, and they weren’t all positive. She explained that while multiverse films create great opportunities for actors to reprise their beloved roles, they often strip those roles of the humanity that made them compelling in the first place.
“Yes. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t satisfying enough for me, as an actor. These multiverse movies are like someone playing with action figures,” Shannon said of her experience with “The Flash.” “It’s like, ‘Here’s this person. Here is that person. And they are fighting!’ It’s not quite the in-depth character study situation that I honestly thought ‘Man of Steel’ was. Whether people think he’s crazy or not, I don’t even care. I really felt like ‘Man of Steel’ was actually quite a sophisticated story. It seems to me that “The Flash” is too, but it’s not the story of Zod. Basically they are there to present a challenge.
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He continued: “It’s pretty crazy. I never thought I’d be an action figure. I never would have imagined that for myself. I can’t take all the credit because the action figure isn’t me. It’s General Zod. It would be weird, if I actually had my own Michael Shannon action figure.
Despite the creative gripes Shannon had with ‘The Flash,’ the actor had kind words for his embattled co-star Ezra Miller. Despite the actor’s multitude of legal troubles, Shannon recently explained that he sympathizes with Miller because he understands the pressures of working in the public eye.
“I thought Ezra was lovely, very nice to me when I was there,” she said. “It’s hard to talk about, but I always give people a lot of leeway in this business, because there are a lot of people in this business who have problems. And some people have more privacy than others.”