‘Shazam!’s Zachary Levi Says Give DC Studios Chiefs A “F***ing Break” & Brushes Off Recasting Rumors

As James Gunn and Peter Safran build a new path forward for DC Studios, they leave lots of upheaval in their wake.  Patty Jenkins‘ “Wonder Woman 3“? No more.  Henry Cavill? No longer Superman. A sequel to “Black Adam“? Not gonna happen, and Dwayne Johnson‘s tenure as the superhero is likely over, too. But what about other DC heroes with sequels on the 2023 calendar for Warner Bros. Discovery, like Zach Levi’s Shazam or Jason Momoa‘s Aquaman? That’s still unclear, but Levi doesn’t want DC fans to worry about it too much.

READ MORE: DC Studios Upheaval Again As James Gunn Teases A New Universe [The Playlist Podcast]

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Levi took to Twitter to confront any “random deceitful” banter on the internet regarding the future of his DC hero after “Shazam! Fury Of The Gods” hits theaters on March 17. In short, Levi thinks he’s in “a pretty good position” with what Gunn and Safran want to do with the character. But until the new co-heads have a definitive plan for the DCU’s future, Levi pleaded that fans “be patient and give them some space and some time to try and really make something special.” “Up to this point, there have been quite a few DC films that may have made some fans very happy, but they’re not tapping into the larger audience,” said Levi. “Marvel was very successful in doing that — bringing in as many people to the table, as many people that could be satiated and brought joy and all that stuff.”  

Levi hopes that Gunn and Safran bring that same sense of satisfaction to DC’s cinematic future, but for that to happen DC fans must remain patient. “If you’re out there, and you really liked what happened before, you can do that — that’s fine,” Levi continued. “But recognize there’s a lot of people that didn’t like those things, and we should always be trying to, I think, tap into as much audience as possible, making as many people as happy as possible. That’s what we’re in entertainment for, and I think that’s what Peter and James are really trying to do, and it’s not an easy position. They got handed all of these things that were already in a lot of conflict. So guys, just f*cking give them a break. Take it easy. Take a breath.”  

Levi also defended 2019’s “Shazam!” against fan criticism in his Instagram Live video, calling it a “really charming movie.” He has high hopes for its upcoming sequel too, says it’s likely to do “reasonably well” at the box office. Moreover, Levi also stated he wishes he had a chance to work with some actors leaving the DCU, a reference to both Johnson and Cavill, who reprised his role as Superman in a cameo in “Black Adam.” On December 14, Cavill confirmed on social media that he wouldn’t return as Superman for future DCU projects. Six days later, Johnson took to Twitter to say that Black Adam wouldn’t be part of Gunn and Safran’s new “first chapter” of the new DCU.

Only time will tell if Levi’s Shazam will join Cavill’s Superman and Johnson’s Black Adam as another superhero rendition James Gunn and Peter Safran jettison from their plans. After everything that’s happened in the DCU this year, it’s safe to say that no project or performer is a sure thing for Gunn and Safran. But if “Fury Of The Gods” is a box office success like “Shazam!” was, expect Gunn, Safran, and WBD CEO David Zaslav to give Levi’s future as Shazam serious thought. Then again, Zaslav was once very high on Cavill returning as Superman, and DC fans know how that went. So, it’s probably safe to expect even more big shifts to come for the DCU in 2023.