Why Michael Shannon Turned Down Star Wars But Said Yes To Man Of Steel And The Flash

There are some film fans out there that view joining a mega-blockbuster franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Universe, "Star Wars," or "Fast & Furious" films as the sure-fire sign that you've got it made. Not only do these films often come with a nice payday, but it's a fantastic way for an actor to make themselves known to the widest possible audience base.

At the same time, there are plenty of actors and filmmakers who wouldn't make a superhero movie even if they were suffocating and the latest Marvel set was the only source of oxygen on the planet. Different strokes for different folks, of course, but there's also the issue of how demanding these productions can often be, including limiting an actor's availability for an undetermined amount of time.

It was for these reasons that Michael Shannon turned down roles in both the "Star Wars" and Marvel franchises. "I'm always a bit wary about those giant movies because they take a lot of time and I don't find them very stimulating to work on," Shannon told Empire Magazine. "I don't ever want to get stuck in a franchise." Shannon went on to say that he doesn't find franchise films "interesting" and has no interest in perpetuating them. "If I'm making something, I want there to be some kind of purpose to it. I don't want to make mindless entertainment," he said. "The world doesn't need more mindless entertainment. We're inundated with it."

This is a fascinating comment considering he did agree to play General Zod in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." As part of Shannon's interview in Empire's Summer 2023 issue, he explained why he declined a role in a "Star Wars" movie but was willing to join the Snyderverse for "Man of Steel."

Where "Man of Steel" differed in Michael Shannon's mind is that he found the film to be "a very relevant story." Here's how he defended his decision to Empire:

"It's basically looking at a civilization that destroyed their own planet and think the solution is to go off and destroy another. When you hear that hypothetically if we destroy the Earth, we might go live on Mars — it's the same thing. I didn't look at Zod as a villain. I just saw him as a guy whose job is to protect his people."

General Zod was defeated at the end of "Man of Steel" but because superhero franchises have discovered the endless possibilities of the multiverse, death doesn't necessarily mean the final chapter for any character. This is the case for Zod, who returned in the latest DC release, "The Flash." For what it's worth, Shannon didn't anticipate ever playing the role again, so when he agreed to join "Man of Steel," it was under the assumption that this would be a one-time thing.

"It's actually one of the reasons I made 'Man of Steel' in the first place — it was a one-and-done," he said. "So I was pretty shocked to hear about this reprisal of the role." Fortunately, Shannon said that he really enjoyed the story "The Flash" was trying to tell and that his participation was manageable. "I was just there a couple of weeks — so it didn't break my back to do it," he added.

Luckily for us, by breaking his own rule, fans of his can now easily buy a General Zod Michael Shannon action figure.