Michael Shannon Never Stepped Foot On Batman V Superman Set

After being killed in Man of Steel, Michael Shannon might have thought his Superman tenure was finished; However, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice proved him wrong. The actor briefly cameoed in the movie when Lex Luthor decided to abscond with the Kryptonian’s corpse. But, apparently, Shannon never even stepped onto the set of Batman v Superman for his role.

In a recent interview with Metro UK, Shannon talked about his work on the blockbuster. “To be honest, I never went to the set of that movie ever,” he said. “I did some ADR, I recorded some lines that Zack [Snyder, director] wasn’t even sure he was going to use — like, creepy s— I’d be saying to Lex Luthor in the spirit world or wherever. I don’t even know if it’s in the movie or not. I do seem to recall a giant, rubber, naked version of my body.”

Of course, fans already knew that Shannon was only seen in the film as a corpse, and that body was made from wax. Jesse Eisenberg, who played Lex Luthor, told Conan O’Brien that the dummy was anatomically correct down to the last hair. Studio ADI created the body double which used a headcast of Shannon and a body mold of Greg Plitt.

Given his small bit in the film, you might wonder whether Shannon liked the blockbuster. After all, fans and critics did gift Batman v Superman with mixed reviews. Apparently, Shannon fell asleep the first time he watched it, but he has a sound reason for doing so.

“You’re gonna get me in trouble, man!” Shannon told to Fandango. “People ask me about this all the time. Okay, I’ll tell you the god’s honest truth. Zack [Snyder] is gonna kill me for this – he’s gonna kill me. I watched it once and I fell asleep.”

However, the actor did stress that he was exhausted when he turned the film on. And, to make matters worse, he was also on an international flight at the time.

Shannon’s nap doesn’t appear to be indicative of his feelings towards Zack Snyder and his work. The actor is a close friend to the director, and he has openly praised Snyder for his cinematic vision. In fact, he told The Independent UK, “I have a ton of respect for Zack Snyder. I loved working with him on Man of Steel. I think his films have their own unique style and he’s very authentically drawn to that. It’s not like he makes these movies but secretly wishes he was doing something else,” the actor continued. “It’s what he wants to do. It’s valid.”

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the film features Oscar-winner Ben Affleck (Argo) as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavill (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as Superman/Clark Kent and also stars Oscar nominees Amy Adams (American Hustle, Man of Steel) as Lois Lane, Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) as Lex Luthor, Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Man of Steel) as Martha Kent, and Laurence Fishburne (What’s Love Got to Do with It, Man of Steel) as Perry White; Oscar winners Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune) as Alfred, and Holly Hunter (The Piano) as Senator Finch; and Gal Gadot (the Fast and Furious films) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince.

[H/T] Metro UK