Actor Michael Shannon, who played General Zod in the DCEU, shares his thoughts on working on The Flash and Ezra Miller’s recent controversy.
Shannon reiterated his disappointment with what happened with Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder on the Justice League set, citing Ben Affleck’s recent statement at a Full Circle event, saying he “very much enjoyed working with him [Snyder] cooperation.” As a result, Shannon felt compelled to get Snyder’s approval before accepting the offer to return General Zod in The Flash. However, due to these same studio pressures as they relate to Snyder, Shannon may have been more forgiving of the Miller controversy.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Shannon shared a different, perhaps more nuanced perspective on The Flash’s controversy about Miller. Although the actor admits he doesn’t “have his finger on the pulse of things,” he knows that Miller finds himself in a difficult mental health situation. Based on Shannon’s own experience working with Miller on set, he found them “lovely” and “really friendly” when he was there, compared to “a few weeks” and “almost a year” on Man of Steel. “It’s hard to say, but I always give people a lot of slack in this industry because there are a lot of people in this industry who have problems,” Shannon said. “Some people have more privacy than others. Whenever someone is in the spotlight and is I felt sorry for them all when they were chosen. Even if it had to be, it was still a horrible situation.” Production director Paul Ostbury reported that Miller threw himself into the production and “started with all the shots Only three days off.” In an exclusive interview with CBS News, the designer said Miller “works six days a week, and Saturdays are for stunt rehearsals. So, there’s a lot of pressure.”
Arguably, these working conditions should not have been allowed, no matter what Miller felt about it. Since Shannon is already disappointed with WB, it’s no surprise that he might see the situation differently, though he agrees that some of the criticisms of Miller are valid. To their credit, the actor apologized for their actions in a statement in 2022. Before that, in 2012, the actor spoke out against the lack of mental health support in Hollywood over their disturbing role in We Need to Talk About Kevin. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Miller said, “Usually, you have a doctor on site. For [We Need to Talk About Kevin], there should definitely be a psychologist on site. Alas, with such a dark subject, We’re all just soothed to our own devices.” The actor says they “always have enough faith that there’s some goodness in us that’s waiting for me on the other side of the abyss. I’m confident that even if I do No, my friends and family might pull me back too. While making this movie, I decided not to worry about it, but to take that step.”
All actors have different skills to create a good performance. For some, it’s just a job, but for others, it’s an art. While Hollywood praises actors who take the extra step, as long as their efforts are seen on the big screen, its culture doesn’t necessarily support those who have a hard time recovering from it, especially when their actions grab headlines. Regarding WBD, Miller’s return as The Flash is unlikely, if comments from DC Studios co-CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn are anything to go by. However, for those who want to support Miller during this difficult time, The Flash is coming.
The Flash opens in theaters on June 16, 2023.
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