Actors often long for the one big role that propels them into superstardom, and, as it turns out,Zachary Levihoped it would beShazam!The actor, who endeared himself to nerds everywhere by playing Chuck Bartowski on the cult action-comedy seriesChuck, wanted to transition to big screen projects that would likely lead to even bigger big screen projects, and it appeared he was on his way. After appearing inThor: The Dark WorldandThor: Ragnarok, he got to headline the DCEU’sShazam!, a film that was well received and garnered a decent box office. However, despite the film’s success, Levi didn’t ascend to the next level,and it appears the next level for the actor was to be like Captain America himself,Chris Evans.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, which details the actor’s recent endorsement ofDonald Trump for President, details of Levi’s career and his desire to make his way into the big leagues of Hollywood are revealed. By securing the titular role inShazam!, Levi thought it was a strong possibility the role would do big things for him, including allowing the actor to become a part of the Justice League. Of course, that isn’t what happened. A source speaking to the trade said:
“When he was cast as Shazam, it was literally his dream. 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.”
Shazam!was one of the brighter spots for the DCEU when it was released in 2019, standing alongsideWonder Womanin terms of its critical response. The film registered a strong 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is much better than most DCEU releases, and it ultimately grossed $368 million worldwide on a reported $100 million budget. The performance of the film guaranteed it would get a sequel (which it did), but a slew of reasons would result in Levi hitting a snag on his road to becoming a member of the A-list.
Scrapping the DCEU Changed Things for Zachary Levi & Shazam!
Shazam! Fury of the Godswas released in the wake of Dwayne Johnson’sBlack Adam, another DCEU film that performed below expectations but was led by a star with much more pull than Levi. Since Black Adam and Shazam are connected, this presented a chance to bring the two characters together with a potential return of Henry Cavill as Superman. However,Johnson reportedly had other plans. Reports at the time claimed that the wrestler-turned-actor wanted to keep those characters separate and push Black Adam as its own thing while also being the presence that would bring Cavill back into the DCEU fold.
It became apparent that Levi felt some kind of way about this because he shared anarticle on his Instagram storythat detailed how Johnson shot down plans for the actor to cameo in the film with a caption under the story that read,“The truth shall set you free,“with an attached upside-down smile emoji.
Shazam! Star Zachary Levi Hurls His Own Thunderbolt at Hollywood ‘Garbage’
Zachary Levi takes a shot at Hollywood while attending a Chicago Expo amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
As it turns out, even Johnson wasn’t enough to fix the hierarchy of the DCEU because many of those plans, including Cavill’s return as Superman,were scrapped when James Gunnand Peter Safran were chosen as co-CEOs to lead the new DC Studios. All of this news dropped as Levi was preparing for the release of the sequel,Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which dulled much of the film’s promotion. As news spread regarding Gunn and Safran’s plans for the new DCU, fans began to wonder if any of the leftover releases from the DCEU would even matter. The confusion could be partially to blame for the underwhelming performance of theShazam!sequel, which grossed a mere $134 million globally on a reported $125 million budget, making it a box office bomb. Reviews didn’t help, with the film securing a mere 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, essentially ending Levi’s chances of movie superhero supremacy.
Outside his recent comic book movie output, Levi appeared in another box office misfire,Harold and the Purple Crayon, a movie thatreceived negative reviews from criticsand took in only $29.2 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. His career has nowfollowed a…familiar path, with the actor declaring at a recent Trump rally that his endorsement for the former President to reclaim the presidency was"career suicide"as it would hurt his chances to work again in a"very, very liberal"Hollywood. Levi is certainly allowed to throw his support behind any candidate, but it seems clear he has been miles away from that enduring character he played onChuckfor a very long time now.
