Zachary Levi 'bitter' that 'Shazam' didn't make him as big a star as Dwayne Johnson
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The now-defunct DCEU made several puzzling choices during its operation from 2013 to 2023, and casting Zachary Levi as Shazam stands out among them.
Levi on his part is reportedly feeling 'bitter' as he thought his turn as Shazam "was his ticket to being The Rock or Chris Evans".
Before taking on the role, Levi was primarily known for his lead in the NBC sitcom 'Chuck', which aired from 2007 to 2012, and for voicing Flynn Rider in Disney’s 'Tangled'.
Zachary Levi calls endorsing Trump 'career suicide' while emphasizing need for change
Recently, while endorsing convicted felon Donald Trump for president, Levi described his choice as a “career suicide.” He opted for Trump after his initial preferred candidate, Robert F Kennedy Jr, seemed to concede to a lesser role in a potential Trump administration.
Take 3 minutes and listen to Zachary Levi speak about how Kamala Harris voters are not the enemy:
— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) September 29, 2024
“Within my industry, as you can probably imagine, Hollywood is a very liberal town, and this (endorsing Trump) very well could constitute career suicide.”
“We are being inundated… pic.twitter.com/fgOeRIeP8G
This decision was perceived by some as an attempt to say, “You can’t fire me because I quit,” especially as Levi’s mainstream career was reportedly nearing its end.
“When he was cast as Shazam, it was literally his dream,” a source told The Hollywood Reporter. “He thought this was his ticket to being The Rock or Chris Evans. But it didn’t happen for him, and he’s bitter about that.”
Even during his time as Shazam, Levi's position in Hollywood became apparent. Notably, Dwayne Johnson showed no interest in having his character, Black Adam, face off against Shazam, despite their traditional rivalry in the comics.
Levi's upcoming project is 'The Unbreakable Boy', a Christian film shot in 2020, which is scheduled for release in February 2025. Meanwhile, DC’s new head, James Gunn, aims to erase the legacy of the DCEU with the launch of the DCU, starting with a new 'Superman' film next summer.
Fan reactions to Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam performance and 'Shazam' franchise
Responses from fans reflect a mixed bag of sentiments regarding The Rock's portrayal in the Shazam franchise.
One user wrote, "He was fine for their interpretation of Captain Marvel, he had an inner child like quality that mimics Tom Hanks "BIG", The Rock F***ed it up by wanting his character to fight Superman instead."
Another user added, "I liked the first one a lot. Had zero expectations. Second one was bad, and Black Adam was meh. Both The Rock and writers destroyed what should have been a decent trilogy."
One user commented, "My opinion is that he did do that great of a job it was too kiddish and his performance was so so . The writing was not to the comics captain Marvel Shazam should had got the knowledge with transfer power."
One person said, "He should be happy that the first Shazam was a million times better than Black Adam. The script for the second one just forgot about what made the first one so good, the heart."
Another replied,"Shazam was a great movie... but i don't know what made him think that it would make him a Rock sized star... lol."
One said, "He deserves so much better."
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