Zack Snyder Wanted Daniel Day-Lewis To Be In Man of Steel

In the days following Zack Snyder's Justice League release on HBO Max, fans have speculated whether Snyder's days with the DCEU aren't quite as numbered after all. 

In promoting his finally realized vision, Snyder has shared a number of his original plans and ideas for Justice League sequels.

But while his future with Warner Bros. is still uncertain, fans are learning more about decisions he made in the past back when he first set out to tell his saga-like story with 2013's Man of Steel. 

SNYDER WANTED DANIEL DAY-LEWIS FOR ZOD

In an interview with MTV News, Zack Snyder responded to the rumor that he had Daniel Day-Lewis in mind for the role of Zod saying he originally hoped the legendary actor "would be interested in the movie."

"When you talk about Daniel Day-Lewis as an actor, he can play any part you want... So yeah, so we always, we did talk. We had hoped Daniel Day-Lewis would be interested in the movie..."

Michael Shannon eventually played the role of General Zod in Man of Steel, and his death at the hands of Superman is still controversial among fans. 

Meanwhile, the three-time Oscar-winning Daniel Day-Lewis starred in Spielberg's Lincoln a year before Man of Steel's release and eventually retired from acting in 2017. 

OSCAR-WINNING METHOD ACTOR AS GENERAL ZOD? 

In all honesty, what director wouldn't want Daniel Day-Lewis for their film? The actor would've brought incredible intensity and gravitas to the role, as well as legitimacy to the Man of Steel film considering his resume and reputation.

In retrospect, it may have been a good thing that Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role.

Man of Steel was Henry Cavill's debut as Superman, and the pressure to perform against Daniel Day-Lewis would've been understandably intimidating for the actor and possibly detracted from Superman as the main character. 

In addition, Daniel Day-Lewis is known for being a method actor. While his casting would've produced some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, perhaps that experience wouldn't have yielded the best experience for the cast and crew. Still, it's fascinating to think of what might've been.