Michael Shannon reveals which scenes in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel were his favorite to shoot and which ones he didn't enjoy quite as much. Released in 2013, Man of Steel introduced audiences to Henry Cavill's version of Superman. The superhero origin story was met with a divided response due to its grim tone and violent subject matter. Still, it was nonetheless praised for its big-budget spectacle and jaw-dropping action sequences.
Man of Steel also earned significant acclaim for its acting. In addition to Henry Cavill's groundbreaking performance as the legendary "strange visitor from another planet," Michael Shannon's take on General Zod was also singled out for praise, even against Terrence Stamp's previous portrayal of the warmongering Kryptonian in the 1970s Richard Donner movies.
In an interview with Screen Rant to promote his latest project, The Quarry, Shannon discussed his turn as one of Superman's deadliest enemies, and how a big-budget science-fiction epic compares to a movie like The Quarry, a slow-burn, dialogue-driven, modern Western. Citing his theater background as the root of his interests, Shannon stated that the dialogue scenes between Zod and Superman were his favorite to shoot, while the high-flying CGI action scenes were less fun to create. While General Zod's fights with Superman in Smallville and Metropolis were certainly exciting to viewers, the reason the Man of Steel version of Zod continues to engage audiences is because of his relationship with Superman. That relationship is what drew Shannon to the role. He told Screen Rant:
"My favorite part of Man of Steel was the story and characters and the situation. In the midst of all the fighting and whatnot, when Zod is actually being very frank with Superman, you know, saying, "This is why I'm doing what I'm doing, this is my job. This is what I've been through," you know? Those moments where they connect with one another, those are the moments that interest me."
As for the actual fight scenes, with their loads of stunt work and use of CGI visuals, Shannon was less interested in creating those particular scenes:
"I don't really enjoy riding around on a horse or shooting guns or acting like I'm fighting somebody. But I like doing scenes where I get to say interesting dialogue or listen to somebody else talk... When we were making Man of Steel, there were some fun sets, but on a lot of days, you just go to the green screen studio. That doesn't exactly get your heart pumping. It's really technical work."
It's hard work, and Shannon is the type of actor who prefers the simple pleasures of telling a story through dialogue and acting. Though he does admit to enjoying some of the fight scenes in Man of Steel:
"I mean, the fighting is cool as hell, don't get me wrong! ...There were some really cool sets, too. Like that scene where we have the big showdown in his hometown, and I blow up the gas station and all that, that was pretty cool."
Since Man of Steel, Shannon has mostly shied away from big-budget CGI-heavy blockbusters, instead he chooses to stick with more character-driven turns in films like The Shape of Water and Knives Out. He doesn't seem keen to return to the realm of superhero action, but with the right script and a rich, nuanced character like Zod, it's hard to imagine he wouldn't be willing to give it another shot.