Michael Shannon Got Zack Snyder’s Blessing Before Making The Flash

Michael Shannon, who reprises his role as Zod in the upcoming DC Studio film The Flash, wanted the approval of Man of Steel’s director Zack Snyder.

General Zod, who was killed by Henry Cavill’s Superman in Snyder’s Man of Steel, returns in The Flash. The actor has expressed his confusion before since he knew his character didn’t survive, and Zod’s body was transformed into Doomsday, who also died in the following film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The trailers have revealed that Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen (aka The Flash) has changed the past by saving his mother from death. But his action resulted in a world where Cavill’s Superman didn’t exist. Zod still comes to Earth, like in Man of Steel and attempts to change the atmosphere.

Michael Shannon Wanted Approval From Zack Snyder

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In a podcast from Bingeworthy (via The Playlist), Michael Shannon told the outlet that he wanted to know if it was okay for him to reprise the role Zack Snyder made for him in Man of Steel. He said:

I was hesitant [to come back] because I wasn’t really happy about what happened to Zack Snyder in that whole deal. And I really love Zack. The fact that Zack asked me to play that part to begin with – that’s probably the biggest surprise of my career. It almost felt like a practical joke. I was like, ‘You’re kidding me, right?

But I talked to Andy [Muschietti] about it, and I liked Andy, and I said, ‘Andy, look – I just want to get Zack’s blessing on this because it just doesn’t feel right without that.’ And Zack, to his credit, was very understanding. He gave me his blessing, and I went to do it. I loved Andy, too. I loved working with Andy. They’re both super creative guys. Andy’s an amazing artist. He would just make these drawings when I was sitting there talking to him. I’d look over and say, ‘Hey, can I keep that?’ and he’d go, ‘Sure!’ and sign it and give it to me.

Just like most fans of the DCEU, Shannon was not happy with how Warner Bros and DC Films treated Zack Snyder. Considering that the film basically erases the events of pretty much most of Snyder’s work for DC.

Despite having directed only a few films, Andy Muschietti has established himself as an exceptional director with a remarkable vision and style.

Michael Shannon’s Zod Returns In The Flash

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

READ MORE: The Flash To Feature A Major Arrowverse Cameo

With that and the fact that Shannon got Snyder’s blessing got him excited to work with the director and to be back in the DC Universe as well.

Shannon continues:

But, you know, it’s just really different – these kind of multiverse situations. The story is a lot more all over the place, you know? And I feel like I mainly exist in ‘The Flash’ as, like, an obstacle or a problem. Whereas, in ‘Man of Steel,’ it was more of a story. Like, ‘The Flash’ is definitely about The Flash – as it should be. So, it’s not as in-depth.

While the trailers have only shown General Zod as the villain, it seems that the actor himself points out that he is not the main bad guy in the film. We’ve reported before that a toy for the film has leaked that Dark Flash could be the main antagonist.

We can’t wait to see Michael Shannon reprise his role as General Zod. I love the fact that he respected Snyder for asking him about returning to the role. We aren’t sure if he will still have the same fate as he did in Man of Steel. But it would be interesting to see what the new universe has to offer if he has a future in it.

The Flash is scheduled to be released on June 16, 2023.

What do you think of Michael Shannon asking Zack Snyder’s blessing to reprise the role of Zod? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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