Michael Shannon Only Returned For The Flash Because He Got Zack Snyder's Blessing

Andy Muschietti's "The Flash," coming to theaters on June 16, 2023, promises to be a wild ride. It seems that The Flash (Ezra Miller) can run so fast, he can travel through time ... and between dimensions. "The Flash" will be a multiverse-style movie along the lines of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," with parallel characters from older continuities becoming involved in the action. Not only will the film star two identical versions of the titular character, but it also boasts at least two versions of Batman (both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton appear in the film) and a new version of Supergirl (Sasha Calle). The Flash will also travel back in time to the events of Zack Snyder's 2013 film "Man of Steel," right when the evil General Zod (Michael Shannon) is in the middle of his attack on Earth. 

"The Flash" more or less marks the end of the decade-long DC Extended Universe film series that was first pioneered by "Man of Steel," so it's fitting that the franchise should come full circle. It's also clear to see how far the DCEU has come in that decade. "Man of Steel" was a steely, turgid, serious film about a young, struggling Superman (Henry Cavill) learning how difficult heroism is. This is also a series that featured "Aquaman," a movie that featured an octopus that can play the drums; they seem to come from different universes altogether. The Snyderverse, as it has been called, will finally complete its task of completely unraveling. 

Actor Michael Shannon also saw the shift, feeling that "The Flash" was incredibly different from "Man of Steel." According to a recent interview with Variety, Shannon was cautious about agreeing to play Zod again, not wanting to step on Snyder's 2013 vision. Luckily, he received Snyder's blessing.

The Snyderverse was unique among superhero cinema, although whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains a hotly debated topic. Snyder's films "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and "Justice League" are intensely adored by a very vocal contingent of social media users who used the hashtag campaign, #RestoreTheSnyderCut, to pressure Warner Bros. into making an extended version of the latter film. Snyder's films are stylish and tonally heavy (if not necessarily witty or deep). 

Shannon, however, sympathized with Snyder, and disliked the drama over the theatrical release of "Justice League." Because of a personal tragedy, Snyder had to step away from directing, and Joss Whedon was brought in to punch up and finish the picture, altering it into something brighter, shorter, and more fun. The story was the same, but the film was quite different from what Snyder had pictured and many objected to the finished product — Shannon was one of them. He remembered that when he was asked to return for "The Flash," the actor 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?'"

Knowing that Snyder had been so kind and supportive, Shannon took his apprehension to the director of "The Flash."

Luckily, Andy Muschietti was amenable and respectful to Shannon. The actor said: 

"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." 

Despite getting Snyder's blessing, Shannon was still mildly frustrated by his role in "The Flash." In "Man of Steel," he was the central villain, providing a philosophical counterpoint for Superman. In "The Flash," he has no such dynamic, becoming more of a generic villain in terms of his plot function. On an episode of "Bingeworthy," Shannon said that the multiverse nature of the story made for a sprawling plot that, perhaps unfortunately, skewed away from more intimate character work, at least for General Zod. In his words: 

"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."

Given the nature of modern superhero movies, Zod and Batman will likely not be the only surprise characters to return. Keep your eye out for your favorite DC characters as the door closes.