Michael Shannon shocked by ‘Superman’ casting, playing Zod
On Tuesday at the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Michael Shannon finally spoke out about playing Zod in “Man of Steel”. Superman fans were clamoring to discover who would be cast opposite of Henry Cavill in the Zack Snyder reboot.
UPDATE: Photo – Empire magazine centering on Michael Shannon’s Zod
“This Superman thing is ridiculous. It just came out of nowhere,” he explained. “I was talking to my agent … she’s like, ‘How about Superman? I’m like, ‘What?’ The idea that I would ever be in Superman! I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’ ”
Shannon describes a surreal meeting the the director, Snyder, as his California home saying Snyder was “seriously sitting there and he’s telling me, ‘You can’t read the script, so I’m just gonna tell you what happens.’ And he spent a half hour telling me every scene in this movie. He’s at his home in Pasadena and I’m looking out — there’s the Rose Bowl, there’s little hummingbirds flying around. I’m like, ‘I’m on acid!’ ” – THR
The actor endured a month long process before the decision was made: “They said, ‘You have to come back because we want to see if you and Superman have chemistry,’” Shannon recalled.
General Zod, played by Terence Stamp in “Superman” and “Superman II”, has always been a fan favorite.
Zack Snyder has been in praising his choice, saying: “Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”
“Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role,” Snyder the Heat Vision blog.
Henry Cavill shared Shannon’s excitement, confessing he “screamed for 20 minutes” when he was selected for the Superman role.
In other casting news, Zack Snyder will reteam with “Sucker Punch” star Carla Gugino for an undetermined role.
“Man of Steel”, the official title will come to theaters in December 2012.
UPDATE: Release date moved to June, 2013
