One of the most exciting aspects ofThe Flash, other than Michael Keaton’s Batman, might be Michael Shannon reprising his role as General Zod 10 years afterMan of Steel, but fans may want to adjust their expectations.The Flashis juggling a lot of characters, including Supergirl, and General Zod is just one piece of this multiverse puzzle that Ezra Miller’s Flash will have to contend with.Reportedly,certain characters were cut fromThe Flash, leaving General Zod and his Kryptonian army to Supergirl, two different Barry Allens, and Keaton’s Batman. Ben Affleck’s Batman is also expected to have a significant role, as Affleck promised an “emotional sendoff.” As a result,The Flashis packed with characters essential to its multiverse story, which Shannon echoes by outlining his experience.RELATED:Ezra Miller Could Still Play The Flash In New DCU If They Stay Out Of TroubleIn an interview withLooper, Shannon says he tried to get back into Zod’s skin, but the character is different this time. “He’s a little more … I don’t know how to put it. You don’t spend as much time with him, so you don’t really get to know as much about what he’s thinking,” Shannon said. “It’s not necessarily his movie. That’s the thing with these multiverse movies — you get a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But it’s really Ezra’s movie.”
Shannon also admits to being confused about why they called him back forThe Flash, seeing as howZod died inMan of Steel. “As memory serves me, I think I died in ‘Man of Steel.’ Are they sure they got the right guy?” Shannon then confesses to not being a consumer of these types of films and that the multiverse concept was unfamiliar to him. However, he insists he has a great time making them. “I loved making ‘Man of Steel,’ and I love working with Zack, and I felt like it was actually, in a way, a fairly important film.” Even so, Shannon says it was nice to revisit the character. “Andy’s a lovely guy and a great artist, visually, and I had a blast.”
It can be deduced that this will be a more shallow version of General Zod than the multidimensional character inMan of Steel. Those aspects will still be there, as it is the same character. However, audiences curious about Zod outside what the character means to the plot may have to revisit that movie first, which may present an opportunity for fans to pick up ondetails missed inMan of Steel.
Despite critiques of the VFX, thefirst screening ofThe Flashis set for April, with early screenings receiving overwhelmingly positive reactions. Shannon’s comments can be taken in a multitude of directions. Still, audiences can hardly blame Andy Muschietti for not giving the actor as much inThe Flashwith how big this story seems to be, and it will be nice for fans to see Zod again when there wasn’t any particular reason that the character had to come back in the first place. However, the film promises a lot in providing a proper ending to the previous storyline ushered in by Zack Snyder, Affleck’s Batman, and opening the doors to the DCU reboot, so hopefully, Shannon’s comments don’t speak to a broader issue.
The Flashis scheduled to be released in theaters on June 30, 2025.
