Most actors would jump at the chance to have a role in a Star Wars film. Hell, even A-listers have been known to take on very small cameos just to say they’ve been a part of that iconic galaxy far, far away. But Michael Shannon isn’t most actors, and in a recent interview with Fandango, the Man of Steel star revealed that he turned down a role in a Star Wars film.
Actually, let us rephrase that. He revealed that he rejected a part in either a Star Wars or Marvel movie. We say “or” because of the the way the question was worded and how Shannon responded:
Fandango: So no big Marvel or Star Wars movie for you then?
Shannon: No, I’m not really looking for that. They called me recently about some iteration – I won’t say – but some version of a movie that’s been made already countless times. They were gonna give me a lot of of money, but I was like nah. Big movie, too. But I have to think it’s an interesting story. If I don’t, I can’t do it. I won’t do it.
It’s not really clear then which film Shannon is referring to here, Star Wars or Marvel, but we’re going to go ahead and say it’s the former. Our reason is that firstly, given the actor’s part in the DC Extended Universe, we find it unlikely Marvel would approach him to star in one of their movies as well. It’s possible, but for some reason, we just don’t see the studio going that route.
Furthermore, he mentions that he was asked to star in a “movie that’s been made already countless times.” While neither franchise, Star Wars or Marvel, are currently remaking something we’ve already seen, Shannon could be referring to the fact that they’ve already made “countless” Star Wars films. After all, many people feel that The Force Awakens was pretty similar to what’s come before it. Then again, Marvel is often criticized for making their films all feel the same as well, so who knows?
Either way, the key takeaway here is that Michael Shannon passed on a Marvel or Star Wars film because they weren’t interesting enough for him. What does the actor find interesting then, you ask? Well, certainly not Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, as he actually fell asleep while watching it. No, big budget blockbusters clearly aren’t Shannon’s thing. Instead, you can catch him in stuff like Loving and Nocturnal Animals, both of which are now in theatres and earning great reviews.