The Flash's Character Development Fell Short Of Man Of Steel For Michael Shannon
Bless Michael Shannon. He's one of those actors who flat-out refuses to play the Hollywood game. Who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman? The "Man of Steel" star doesn't care. Was he celebrating with his "The Shape of Water" co-stars when the film cleaned up at the 2018 Oscars? No, he was busy working, so he watched the show on mute in a bar in Chicago.
This week's "The Flash" sees Michael Shannon reprising his "Man of Steel" role as the formerly-deceased General Zod thanks to some multiversal wibbly-wobbly business caused by Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) meddling with the timeline. More importantly, that means a whole new round of Shannon hitting the press circuit and not giving a s*** — even admitting that he didn't exactly find his return to the DC Universe to be all that rewarding.
Speaking to Collider, Shannon confessed that it "wasn't quite satisfying" for him to play Zod again. "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!'" he told the outlet. Now, before you go accusing Shannon of being a hypocrite or anti-blockbuster, it's worth noting that he stands by his decision to join the DC Universe in the first place. He doesn't think badly of "The Flash" as a whole, either, stating that it was simply his role as Zod that left him underwhelmed:
"It's not quite the in-depth character study situation that I honestly felt 'Man of Steel' was. 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."
'It's always about performance'
"The Flash" takes heavy inspiration from "Flashpoint" (among other DC comic book titles), the 2011 crossover story that, in many ways, has come to define the Scarlet Speedster since its publication. Few other arcs have tapped into the conceit at the heart of the character — that even the Fastest Man Alive can't outrun fate — as effectively as that arc, combing the massive scale of a multiverse epic with a deeply personal superhero story. It's perfect fodder for a big-budget interpretation, in other words.
What it isn't, however, is a great General Zod story. Therein lies the other reason Michael Shannon preferred working on "Man of Steel" over "The Flash." In his own words:
"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."
This sentiment is perfectly in keeping with Shannon's general disinterest in prestige or fame for their own sakes. At the same time, his comment also highlights why it's impossible to talk about "The Flash" without also discussing the serious allegations against Miller and their purported criminal behavior off-screen (hence me bringing it up here). Like Shannon noted, "The Flash" is really Miller's movie and there's just no avoiding this topic, unpleasant as it is.
"The Flash" hits theaters on June 16, 2023.