Michael Shannon Was Confused How General Zod Could Come Back In The Flash
Michael Shannon's General Zod was killed in Man of Steel, which meant the multiverse had to be explained to the actor for him to understand how the character was back in The Flash.
Those who saw the 2013 film Man of Steel might remember that General Zod unceremoniously got his neck snapped by a desperate Superman trying to save the lives of the people Zod was trying to annihilate. Actor Michael Shannon also remembers that, which is why he was confused about how his character was returning in The Flash. In an interview with Looper, Shannon admitted that someone had to explain to him how, exactly, he was coming back.
“I was a little confused. As memory serves me, I think I died in Man of Steel. Are they sure they got the right guy? But then they explained to me the whole multiverse phenomenon, which… I was a little behind the times on that. I can’t say that I’m a huge consumer of this genre of films — not that I have anything against them. If I’m going to watch a movie, the odds are it’s not going to be one of those, but I sure love making them.”
While the exact cause of Michael Shannon’s comeback to the DC universe has not been revealed, we do know that The Flash will involve time travel and a multiverse, meaning the film can bring back anyone it wants, and you have to accept it. We already know that the film is bringing back Michael Keaton as Batman, and there are rumors that the star of the CW’s The Flash TV series, Grant Gustin, will also make an appearance.
With the number of multiversal shenanigans involved with The Flash, even wilder rumors about who will appear in the film have been circulating. For example, some have surmised that Adam West’s Batman from the 1960s Batman TV series, Christopher Reeve’s Superman from the 1970s Superman films, and Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman from the 1970s Wonder Woman TV Series may appear via movie magic. Michael Shannon might not be the only General Zod in The Flash since inside sources have told us that Terrance Stamp, who played Zod in the 1980 film Superman II, might reprise his role through the use of CGI.
Whether Terrance Stamp will fight alongside Michael Shannon or not, we know what Zod (and other villains) will be up to in The Flash. We know that Barry Allen accidentally creates a world without “metahumans” by misusing his superpowers to save his family, leaving, as he puts it, “no one to defend us.” While it’s not plainly laid out who the metahumans would need to defend the earth from, the trailer strongly implies that Zod’s invasion force is at least part of the threat.
To defend against Michael Shannon’s Zod (and whoever else might be joining him), The Flash appears to be recruiting heroes from other universes. While the only additional heroes we know about from the trailer are Michael Keaton‘s Batman, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, and what appears to be another version of Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen, the movie no doubt has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Whether we’ll see the rumored throwback superheroes or other beloved characters from across the DC Universe remains to be seen.
Regardless of who Michael Shannon ends up fighting against, we know that The Flash will be a pivotal moment for DC films. The movie will serve as an entry to James Gunn’s newly-imagined DC Universe. The aftermath of the film’s world-altering events will likely lead directly into Gunn’s plans for the franchise. We know that these plans include the upcoming “Gods & Monsters” event, which includes Superman: Legacy and four other planned films, so it’ll be quite a ride to see these plans come to fruition.
