Man of Steel star Michael Shannon recently revealed that he turned down a role in an unspecified Star Wars project.
Shannon discussed his reasons for knocking back the mystery Star Wars part in an interview with Empire, citing his distaste for the popcorn blockbusters that currently dominate the box office. "I don't ever want to get stuck in a franchise," he said. "I don’t find them interesting and I don't want to perpetuate them. If I'm making something, I want there to be some kind of purpose to it -- I don't want to make mindless entertainment. The world doesn't need more mindless entertainment. We're inundated with it."
While Shannon isn't a fan of franchises like Star Wars, the two-time Oscar nominee's filmography boasts credits in more than one ongoing film series. Notably, Shannon portrayed General Zod in 2013's Man of Steel and later reprised the role in 2023's The Flash. The star reflected on his involvement in Man of Steel during a recent career retrospective session, insisting that the film's allusions to real-life environmental issues elevated it above other entries in the wider superhero canon. Shannon also praised director Zack Snyder's take on Zod himself, which he described as "beautiful and heartbreaking."
Michael Shannon On General Zod's Return
By contrast, Shannon recently admitted that filming Zod's return in The Flash was an underwhelming experience. "I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't quite satisfying for me, as an actor," he said. "These multiverse movies are like somebody playing with action figures. It's like, 'Here's this person. Here's that person. And they're fighting!' It's not quite the in-depth character study situation that I honestly felt Man of Steel was. Whether people think that's crazy or not, I don't even care." Shannon added that Zod is essentially just an obstacle for the Flash to overcome, which left him with little to sink his teeth into.
The acclaimed thespian has kinder words for his Flash co-star Ezra Miller, though. In an earlier interview, Shannon addressed Miller's recent run of legal troubles, noting that Miller was "very kind" to him during their time together on set. He also said that he cuts his fellow actors "a lot of slack" when they become embroiled in scandals, since they are often grappling with mental health issues in the public eye. "Any time somebody is out in the spotlight getting picked on, I feel for them. Even if it's warranted, it's still a horrible situation," he said.
Source: Empire, via Insider