Michael Shannon says returning as Zod in The Flash “wasn’t quite satisfying”

DC actor Michael Shannon, who plays the role of General Zod, has said that returning to the character for The Flash after appearing 10 years ago in Man of Steel, “wasn’t quite satisfying” for him as an actor.

Michael Shannon first took on the role of General Zod in the 2013 Superman film, Man of Steel. While the movie received mixed reviews from critics, Shannon was praised for his complex and committed performance as the villainous Zod.

Now 10 years later, Shannon is back and set to reprise his role in the Flash movie. However, rather than facing off against Henry Cavill’s Superman, Zod will now be going toe-to-toe with Ezra Miller’s Flash and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl.

And while fans are excited to see the villain back on the big screen, recent comments from Shannon imply that the experience this time around was quite as fulfilling as it was when he first portrayed Zod.

In an interview with Collider, Shannon explained how he felt that Zod’s role in The Flash was less important and that it was not as much of a challenge for him as an actor as it was the first time around.

“I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t quite satisfying for me, as an actor. 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.”

Michael Shannon on playing Zod again in the upcoming Flash movie

Shannon then added, “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.”

The Zod actor then revealed that part of why returning to Zod for The Flash was not as “in-depth” as in Man of Steel is because The Flash is largely focused on its titular character and that actor Ezra Miller is the one who had to put in the groundwork to make the film come to life.

“Honestly, to me, it’s all about Ezra [Miller]. 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. 

I know a lot of times, with movies like this, people are excited about the big set pieces or the effects, but for me, it’s always about performance. I don’t care whether it’s an Ingmar Bergman film or the Avengers. It’s always about performance.”

Regardless of Shannon feeling as though he was given less time to explore Zod’s character for The Flash, fans are still excited to see him return to the DC universe.

For all the latest news and updates about the upcoming Flash film, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.