With DC Comics and Warner Bros slowly following in Marvel’s footsteps by trying to create its own mini-universe of comic book movies – not to mention the increasingly expanding world of indie graphic novel heroes and original superhero properties - there is clearly no shortage of muscle-bound good guys stopping crime in pop culture. Similarly, there is no shortage of supervillains hellbent on terror and destruction. And there appears to be no shortage of supervillains lurking inside men’s rooms, nefariously scheming to destroy the cinema-critiquing subculture that rues their existence. Well, kinda...
Just before appearing at a Q&A at Los Angeles’ Landmark Theater for his new film, Paul Andrew Williams’ musical comedy Unfinished Song, actor Terrance Stamp had to take an immediate bathroom break after driving to the theater. The bathroom was filled with around 10 to 12 guys all talking about Zack Snyder’s crowd-polarizing Man of Steel. It was a fitting moment, given that the most iconic role of Stamp's long career is arguably as General Zod in the first two Superman films, a role taken over by Michael Shannon in the new movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, whose Scott Feinberg was moderating the event, Stamp took the opportunity to give the arguing gentleman the coincidence of their lives.
As the Q&A began, Stamp decided to tell the crowd the story of his interaction with the group. "And one says, ‘Well, I don’t know. If they’d have, like, peeled the buildings off the screen I wouldn’t have been surprised, you know?’ Another says, ‘It was all so loud.’ Then the guy down at the other end, who was only a little guy, said, ‘Yeah, yeah!’ And he said, ‘It really wasn’t as good as the first one, was it?’” It was at that point that Stamp decided to make his presence known.
“And I just couldn’t resist, and I said, “You’re a very discerning man.’ And as soon as they heard the voice they said, ‘Oh my God! It’s General Zod!’ I swear to God, it just happened!” Understandably, the crowd was just as amused as the men in the bathroom were. It’s just like a villain as ruthless as Zod to point out the inferiority of someone who is “only a little guy” in the middle of a story. I’d like to hear that guy’s version of the story: “And then Zod showed up, and I totally could have kicked his ass.”
Incidentally, Unfinished Song was released a few days ago on June 21, and as far as I can tell from the film’s latest trailer, which you can watch below, there are no Phantom Zones involved.
