Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi has doubts about his future in the DC Universe.
Will Zachery Levi return as Shazam?
Per ComicBook.com, Levi sat down with The FilmUp Podcast to discuss his career as an actor and filmmaker. On the topic of Shazam, however, the actor reveals that he’s in the dark regarding the future of his role after new DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran expressed a commitment to a hard “reset” of the franchise. “I don’t know what the future holds, because Fury of the Gods was not well received,” Levi said. “I have no idea where we go from here.”
Levi originated the role of Billy Batson/Shazam in the character’s self-titled movie in 2019, which earned wide praise from critics. The sequel, Fury of the Gods, received a more tepid response from critics as well as audiences choosing to sit it out in the wake of Gunn’s new DCU slate announcement in January. Levi previously defended the new DC Studios bosses and shared hopes about his future as Shazam.
“I’ve known Peter Safran for years because he’s my boss,” said Levi. “He’s now my boss-boss, but he’s been my boss as my producer. And I’ve known James for years and been a fan of his work for years. I think he’s a visionary kind of guy. He really understands world building, and I trust that they’re going to come up with some really cool avenues and directions for all of them. Not just Shazam [and] the Shazamily, but all the characters within DCU to go live really cool lives and make cool movies. And wherever they collide me into them, I will be stoked.”
Should Levi not continue as Shazam, he follows several DCU actors out the door including Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman. Additionally, Ezra Miller’s future as the Flash is in doubt following the massive underperformance of the character’s stand-alone movie. One character that Gunn and Safran have committed to keeping around, however, is Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle. His movie is scheduled for release on August 18th.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing on Max.
