Michael Shannon is gearing up for General Zod’s DCU return in The Flash later this year. Ahead of his return, he wanted to get the blessing of director Zack Snyder.
Speaking during an appearance on the Bingeworthy podcast, Shannon revealed how he initially reached out to Snyder before agreeing to return to the DC Universe. According to Shannon, he just wanted the director’s blessing to bring back the character, because he “wasn’t happy” about what happened with Snyder and the Justice League controversy.
“I was hesitant, because I wasn’t really happy about what happened to Zack Snyder in that whole [Justice League controversy] deal,” Shannon said. “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?'” (Via Gamespot)
Shannon went on to say that Snyder was understanding about him returning, and ended up giving the actor his blessing. He also praised director Andy Muschietti, who directed The Flash.
“Zack, to his credit, was very understanding,” Shannon said. “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.”
Michael Shannon first appeared as Zod in 2013’s Man of Steel. He will reprise the role in The Flash, which is set to premiere on June 16, 2023.
