The official cast list of The Flash features two surprising names – Michael Shannon and Antje Traue. The pair last appeared in 2013’s Man of Steel, where Shannon played the Superman antagonist, General Zod, with Traue playing his sub-commander, Faora-Ul. Both the characters seemingly died in Man of Steel but are somehow set to return in the DCEU’s The Flash. In a recent press release by Warner Bros. UK, previewing all major 2022 film releases, Michael Shannon and Antje Traue are listed in the cast of The Flash, alongside Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton.
Mistakenly, Michael Keaton is named twice. While an actor of his stature certainly deserves to be credited twice, it’s actually Ben Affleck who should be there. This information is from an official press release with a slight error, and is not a rumor. In fact, the same report also confirms Keaton’s return in Batgirl. How Michael Shannon and Antje Traue will be incorporated into The Flash remains a mystery. But one thing we can be sure of is that the pair will reprise their roles from Man of Steel. Whether they will be introduced via time travel or the multiverse remains to be seen.
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After getting his neck snapped by Superman in Man of Steel, General Zod was last seen as a dead body in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Traue’s Faora-Ul seemed to have died as well, but Zack Snyder confirmed that she was merely sent back to the Phantom Zone. He has since teased her and other Kryptonian villains’ return in the DCEU. Perhaps Zod and Faora will act as foes to Supergirl, played by newcomer Sasha Calle. Hopefully, their return also opens the door for Henry Cavill’s Superman to be reintroduced in the DCEU.
While the news of Michael Shannon and Antje Traue’s return comes as a pleasant surprise, The Flash will feature several other big cameos, director Andy Muschietti revealed in October.
The Flash is inspired by the Flashpoint storyline, which sees Barry Allen travel back in time to save his mother, but he ends up altering the timeline to a dangerous level. The Flash will have Ezra Miller portraying two different versions of the Scarlet Speedster. The film will also have two different Batmen. Michael Keaton reprises his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from Tim Burton’s films. Ben Affleck also dons the cape and cowl of Batman one last time. Hopefully, The Flash does justice to Affleck’s controversial yet severely underrated portrayal of the caped crusader. The Flash also stars Kiersey Clemons as Iris West, Sasha Calle as Supergirl, Maribel Verdu as Nora Allen, and Ron Livingston as Henry Allen.
“We can tell you that there are surprises. We cannot reveal what they are, but they will probably blow your socks off. They will. I think the less we talk about it the better. There’s excitement behind the camera about those surprises, but you’re better not knowing them until you see them on the big screen.”
The Flash is written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) from a story by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Spider-Man: Homecoming). Andy Muschietti (It, Mama) is directing the film. The Flash sprints into theaters on November 4, 2022.
