Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi says he would love the chance to square off against The Rock's Black Adam. Shazam 2, set to premiere on June 2, 2023, will reteam Levi with director David F. Sandberg. The original young adult cast will be returning (except for Michelle Borth, who will have Grace Fulton take over the role of Mary), alongside new cast members Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren. Shazam 2 just wrapped principal photography this past week.
Black Adam will be coming even sooner than Shazam 2, on July 29, 2022. The film, directed by Jungle Cruise's Jaume Collet-Serra, will star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the titular antihero. Formerly known as Teth-Adam, he is given powers by the ancient wizard Shazam (who appeared in the Shazam films played by Djimon Hounsou). The film will also introduce the Justice Society of America (including Hawkman, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate) to the DC Extended Universe. Black Adam wrapped filming this past July.
Per The Direct, at Dragon Con 2021 Levi was asked how excited he would be to fight Black Adam in a future DCEU movie. He eagerly responded that "it would be a dream" to punch The Rock in the face. He admits that the decisions behind a crossover like that are "above [his] pay grade," but "it would be a bummer if Captain Marvel and Black Adam didn’t have at least their one meeting." Additionally, at one point Levi references his character as Captain Marvel, which was the original name for Shazam, implying that the name might be used in the upcoming film. Read the full quote here:
"I would love to punch The Rock in the face… it would be a dream.
"Like honestly… all those things are way above my pay grade. I have no idea how all of these things are going to ultimately carve up. I know that he’s a very busy man, and very successful. Again, very busy doing other movies. So, I don’t know if and when there is ever going to be that. I hope so!
"Given the comic and the canon and all that stuff, I think it would be a bummer if Captain Marvel and Black Adam didn’t have at least their one meeting, whatever that’s going to be. You know, I’ll just show up and put on the suit…"
This quote would certainly seem to dispel any speculation that Black Adam or Shazam are already appearing in either of each other's films that have already been shot. It would make sense for Black Adam and Shazam to eventually face off against one another, because the two have a long history in the comics. Black Adam was essentially the anti-Captain Marvel, reflecting how his path may have gone if he had chosen Evil over Good, and was a frequent archenemy for him throughout the run of the comics.
The plot of Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently unknown, but it is believed the villain in that particular entry will be the god Atlas or his daughters rather than Black Adam. However, it is believed that there are many Black Adam movies to come, and even though The Rock is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, he always seems to find time to show up wherever he's needed. There's no reason that one of those films can't be the big crossover with Shazam that Zachary Levi is clearly willing to hop into.
Source: The Direct
