Man of Steel Star Michael Shannon Received Zack Snyder’s Blessing Before Returning for The Flash

Warner Bros. Discovery came out swinging today during their jam-packed CinemaCon panel that featured some new looks at all of the films they plan to release this year. Among their 2023 slate are a bunch of DC Studios films that include The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The Flash is premiering at the event, but DC Studios made sure to give the fans at home something to chew on by releasing the second trailer for the film. In the trailer, we get a lot more looks at the film, including some new looks at Michael Shannon’s return as General Zod. Shannon was a surprise return, but it seems that he almost didn’t come back in The Flash. In a new interview with The Playlist, Shannon revealed that he asked Man of Steel director Zack Snyder for permission to return as General Zod in The Flash, and he obliged.

“I was hesitant [to come back] because I wasn’t really happy about what happened to Zack Snyder in that whole deal,” Shannon revealed. “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?’”

“But 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. But, you know, it’s just really different – these kind of multiverse situations. 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.”  The Flash and Man of Steel star added.

Ben Affleck Says The Flash is His Best Work as Batman

Affleck was recently doing press for his upcoming film Air, and he’s revealing some new details on The Flash. While appearing on the Smartless Podcast, Affleck spilled some juicy new details about Gal Gadot’s The Flash cameo.

“It’s my best s–t I have done as Batman! I finally figured out how to play the guy! I know I quit but I got it now! Like you do the audition and you are on your way home, you are like ‘No!’ I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but there was a scene where I get saved by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys,” Affleck revealed. “She saves me with the Lasso of Truth, so what happens is that Batman divulges some of his real feelings about his life and his work. I was like ‘Wait a minute; I got it!”

The Flash hits theaters on June 16th! 

What do you think about Michael Shannon’s comments? Are you excited to see his return in The Flash? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!