Zachary Levi Posts Video On 'DC Drama' And Future Of 'Shazam'

There are many questions surrounding the future of the DC Universe on the big screen now that James Gunn and Peter Safran are the heads of DC Studios. It raises the question of what happens to the actors currently starring in films based on the DC Universe that are still yet to be released. One such star is actor Zachary Levi, whose sequel, "Shazam: Fury of the Gods," comes out next year. Levi posted a video on his Instagram this week addressing the rampant rumors right now regarding his role and what's next for his DC superhero character.

As reported by The Blast, Superman actor Henry Cavill is out of the DC Universe when it was announced in October that he was back in the role following a cameo in DC's "Black Adam." Cavill's return was announced before Gunn and Safran were named as the new heads of DC Studios.

It was also later reported that DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery were opting not to move forward with "Wonder Woman 3" featuring star Gal Gadot from filmmaker Patty Jenkins. This would appear to suggest that Gal Gadot is not returning as Diana of Themiscyra, aka Wonder Woman.

This begs the question of what will happen to the cast of other pending DC film properties. On the surface, it appears that Gunn and Safran's new plans would call for a brand-new cast from top-to-bottom, and they are completely starting over from scratch for the new DC Universe, no matter what they might say publicly.

Levi spoke on the recent "DC drama" in his Instagram video, and he had glowing praise for Gunn and Safran as the new leaders of the studio. He stated, "I couldn’t have hand-chosen two better people to be the ones who are guiding where the DC Universe is going."

However, Levi noted that he has "no idea of what is going on at the end of the day" regarding his future as Shazam. He stated the following:

"Some things that I've said at a convention -- actually, multiple things that I've said at multiple conventions continue to be taken out of context because people want to do that because they want to stir up bull**** and drama. Well, you can stop that, guys. Like I said, I have no idea what is going on at the end of the day, but I don't need to. I show up and I do my job. I’m so grateful that I get to be Shazam. I'm so grateful that I get to be super Billy Batson, and I will show up and do that as long as I’m given the opportunity to. And guess what? At this point right now, I’m still that character."

 

Levi continued, "I’ve not had any outgoing conversation with the bosses. We have a movie that’s literally coming out in March, and guys, it’s even better than the first one! And the first one was really ****ing good! Like I think you're really going to enjoy the next 'Shazam: Fury of the Gods.' I really think you are, and I hope that that's reflected in the box office as well, and I hope we do even better than we do the first time. And hopefully, hopefully, this does enough to silence, or at least quiet, the haters that are out there that so purposefully want to be hateful about I think a really charming movie and a really charming and a really charming branch of what DC is."

While the first "Shazam!" movie was lighter fare for what's classified as the DCEU by fans, it was still clearly meant to be set within that universe, with references and items from past films. The film also ended with a cameo of what was clearly meant to be Henry Cavill's version of Superman. However, his head and likeness did not appear onscreen, since the production was unable to sign Cavill for an appearance.

There is also a scene in "Fury of the Gods" where Shazam goes out to dinner with what clearly appears to be the Gal Gadot version of Wonder Woman. So, if Gunn and Safran are leaving these versions of the characters behind, Levi's Shazam could be next after "Fury of the Gods' is released. However, Levi urged fans for their patience. He continued"

"After the next movie comes out, I will trust that Gunn and Safran are making the best decisions that they can for the DC Universe. That’s their job, that’s what they’re tasked with. And there's so many things, like is everyone is saying, 'Well, they did this for this one--' You have no idea the reasoning behind any of the decisions that are going on. The amount of conjecture and like rumor mill and drama and nonsense that keeps getting spun around out there on Instagram and Twitter is laughable. It is unbelievably laughable. So I would just say, be patient and give them some space and time to try and really make something special, and I think something that DC deserves to have and something that [Zack] Snyder tried to do, and it didn't ultimately materialize."

Elsewhere, other DCEU films that are on the horizon are "The Flash," starring Ezra Miller, which arrives on June 16, 2023. The sequel "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," starring Jason Momoa, also arrives on December 25, 2023. A new movie, "Blue Beetle," is set for an August 2023 release.

Where "Blue Beetle" fits into the DCEU or new DC Universe remains to be seen. But "The Flash," "Aquaman 2," and "Shazam 2" all presumably fit into the previously established DCEU canon.

"Shazam: Fury of the Gods" is once again directed by David F. Sandberg. In this film, Billy and his adopted family are pitted against the Daughters of Atlas. The film sees the return of Asher Angel as young Billy Batson, with Zachary Levi as his superhero alter-ego Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Adam Brody playing his adult superhero form, Helen Mirren as Hespera, Lucy Liu as Kalypso, and Djimon Hounsou reprising his role as The Wizard Shazam.

The sequel opens in theaters on March 17, 2023.