Despite an aversion for appearing in big franchises, Michael Shannon agreed to return for a small role as General Zod (after first getting Man of Steel director Zack Snyder's blessing) in The Flash, but it sounds like he didn't have a particularly fulfilling experience working on the Scarlet Speedster's first solo outing.
During an interview with Collider, Shannon spoke about returning as the Krytonian conqueror, and while he did praise the movie itself, he didn't have great things to say about how his character was utilized.
“Yeah. I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t quite satisfying for me, as an actor. 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. I really felt like Man of Steel was actually a pretty sophisticated story. I feel like The Flash is too, but it’s not Zod’s story. I’m basically there to present a challenge.”
Zod certainly makes an impact when he shows up in the third act, but it is a very small part, and it's easy enough to see where Shannon is coming from.
“It’s pretty crazy. I didn’t ever think I would be an action figure," he added. "I never imagined that for myself. I can’t take all the credit because the action figure isn’t me. It’s General Zod. That would be weird, if I actually had my own Michael Shannon action figure.”
Hey, someone would buy it!
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"Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash features Barry Allen traveling back in time in order to change events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to help. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian…albeit not the one he’s looking for.
Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?"
The Flash is produced by Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco, with a screenplay by Christina Hodson, and a screen story by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold, based on characters from DC. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Double Dream/a Disco Factory production of an Andy Muschietti film.