Michael Shannon Stands By Man of Steel’s Controversial Ending, Proud of Henry Cavill for Killing Zod
Watching Man of Steel’s climactic kill with Vanity Fair, Michael Shannon doesn’t mince words—he hates violence and was heartsick seeing Henry Cavill’s Superman end General Zod.
Michael Shannon just sat down with Vanity Fair, watched the Man of Steel ending where Superman snaps Zod's neck, and finally said out loud how he feels about it. It is both very Michael Shannon and unexpectedly thoughtful.
'I wish people didn't kill people'
'Oh gosh, I just wish people didn't kill people, period. I mean, whether or not they're aliens from outer space or just regular Joes.'
That was his gut reaction while rewatching the scene. He hates violence, full stop. But after the initial flinch, he pivoted to why that moment exists in the first place, and why he stands by it.
Why the neck-snap happened, according to Shannon
Shannon said Zack Snyder designed the story to force Superman into an actual no-win scenario: either hold the line on his no-kill ideal or save innocent people in immediate danger. In that corner, Superman chooses the people, which leaves him only one option: kill Zod. Shannon knows that choice set off years of discourse (he even jokes about all the 'sturm und drang'), but he calls it intentional, not an accident or a misunderstanding of the character.
He also pushed back on the idea that he only did Man of Steel for a paycheck and made it clear he loved working with Snyder. In his words, he is proud of the film because it is about something, not just city-leveling spectacle.
Coming back for The Flash made him go, wait... how?
After Zod dies in Man of Steel, Shannon got the call to return as Zod in The Flash from director Andy Muschietti and, by his own admission, he was confused. His first thought was basically: pretty sure I died, are you sure you want me? Muschietti then walked him through the multiverse setup — alternate timelines, different outcomes — and Shannon laughed that he was a bit behind on that concept. Once it clicked, he was in.
He says it was a short shoot, largely in England, but a fun one. He describes Muschietti as a lovely guy with a strong visual eye, and says revisiting Zod was a blast even if he was not on set very long. And for the record, he still has a lot of affection for Man of Steel and for working with Snyder.
Where to watch, plus a quick refresher
In the US, Man of Steel and The Flash are streaming on Max.
- Movie: Man of Steel (2013)
- Director: Zack Snyder
- Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Russell Crowe
- Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
- Runtime: 2h 23m