Michael Shannon has said he “very reluctant” to star in The Flash because of the way Zack Snyder was treated after dropping out of Justice League.
The American actor told The Independent he was hesitant to reprise his role of General Zod in the 2023 DC film starring Ezra Miller “because of the way that” Man of Steel director Snyder “had kind of been excommunicated from the whole Warner Brothers empire” after quitting sequel Justice League.
After completing work on the film. Snyder stepped away from the post-production of Justice League after the death of his daughter. Snyder’s replacement, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, rewrote and reshot most of his work, much to the chagrin of superhero fans.
“That left this sour taste in my mouth,” Shannon, 50, said while promoting his new West End play A Moon for the Misbegotten. “I did not like the way they treated him at all.”
Whedon’s Justice League was criticised by critics and audiences, who immediately launched a petition calling for Warner Bros to release Snyder’s original cut. The director’s four-hour version was eventually released in 2021.
Despite Shannon’s hesitancy to appear in The Flash, said he agreed to appear “because he liked” director Andy Muschietti – but said he does not recall his on-set experience fondly.
“When I was there doing it, there were several days where I thought, ‘I’m not doing this again,’” the actor said of the effects-heavy film.
Shannon previously revealed he was given Snyder’s blessing to reprise his Man of Steel role in the film.
“Zack, to his credit, was very understanding,” the Boardwalk Empire actor told The Playlist. “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.”
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Shannon continued: “The fact that Zack asked me to play that part to begin with – that’s probably the biggest surprise of my career,” the Boardwalk Empire actor told The Playlist. “It almost felt like a practical joke. I was like, ‘You’re kidding me, right?’”
The actor can currently be seen on the London stage, starring in A Moon for the Misbegotten alongside Ruth Wilson and Shameless star David Threlfall.
Eugene O’Neill’s play, set in 1920s Connecticut, follows the collision between a wealthy landlord and a farmer’s daughter over the course of a single night.
