Zachary Levi reflects on his journey from Fandrall in the MCU to becoming the lead in Shazam! for the DCEU. Levi broke out in 2007 with his role on the cult-favorite series Chuck and went on to star in several films, including lending his voice to the role of Flynn Ryder in Disney's Tangled. Initially, he was set to join the MCU in the first Thor film. He was forced to drop out due to scheduling issues with his series Chuck but eventually took over the role from Joshua Dallas in Thor: The Dark World due to Dallas' commitments to Once Upon a Time.
Levi's role of Fandrall was small, and his part was decreased in Thor: The Dark World and was killed off quickly in Thor: Ragnarok with no lines. While he was considered for the role of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, it did seem like Levi was not going to be a massive part of the DCEU. However, just one week before Thor: Ragnarok opened in theaters, Levi was cast in the title role of the upcoming DCEU film, Shazam!, which would make him one of the faces of the franchise alongside Margot Robbie, Gal Gadot, and Jason Momoa.
In a recent interview with The Direct, Levi reflected on his time in the MCU and how it led him to get the job for Shazam!. Levi expresses his gratitude that he gets to play a superhero, considering he is approaching 40. He credits his nerdiness to helping him land the role in Shazam!. Levi said:
"But also, in hindsight, I got that journey, I died in the Marvel Universe… and then I got reborn in the DC Universe, and I can’t even tell you how unbelievably cool that is and how grateful I am for that. As an older dude, I’m not the young guy on the market who everybody wants to be like ‘oh that’s our cool superhero guy,’ and I’m like ‘I’m the guy that's been a nerd for a long time, and is like 40,’ and they're like ‘yea. Actually, you know what, you’re perfect 'cause you never grow up inside.”
Levi isn't the first performer or even talent to move over from Marvel to DC. Patty Jenkins dropped out of directing Thor: The Dark World and went on to helm Wonder Woman. James Gunn most recently directed The Suicide Squad, which starred Levi's Thor co-star Idris Elba as Bloodsport, a much more significant role than he was given in the MCU. In the 70's Jack Kirby famously left Marvel to work for DC, where he created the New Gods, which are still being used by DC to this very day in projects like Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Levi's future in the DCEU looks bright. Shazam! was a hit with critics and earned a respectable box-office haul to earn a sequel, titled Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to open in June 2023. With the arrival of Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam, who is arguably Shazam's greatest nemesis, it is possible that the DCEU could be building a crossover film between the two characters. While his time in the MCU was short-lived, Zachary Levi is now the face of the superhero Shazam! to a group of fans the world over.
Source: The Direct
