From Shade to Comeback? Zachary Levi Hopes to Return to DC Despite Criticizing James Gunn

Zachary Levi, best known for playing Shazam in the DCEU, has expressed interest in returning to the newly established DC Universe.

He spoke about it during the Feature First podcast, saying, “If James and the powers that be said ‘Hey, we would love to bring you back as Shazam,’ or if there was some other DC character… I love comic books.’”

The first Shazam! film, released in the United States on April 5, 2019, was a hit with both audiences and critics, earning $367.8 million worldwide. It was followed by Shazam! Fury of the Gods in 2023 and the spin-off Black Adam in 2022, but neither matched the success of the original movie.

When James Gunn became co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran, it quickly became clear that many of the previous DCEU actors would not continue in the new DCU. So far, only a few actors have retained their roles, including the cast of Peacemaker, Jason Momoa, who will debut as Lobo in the upcoming Supergirl movie, and Sean Gunn, James Gunn’s brother, who appeared as Maxwell Lord in Superman.

Levi previously made headlines with a joke about Sean Gunn keeping his role, saying, “When you’re the brother of the guy who runs DC, I guess you get to play who you want.”

Since losing the role of Shazam, Levi’s career has slowed. According to The Hollywood Reporter, playing Shazam was a dream role for him. “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,” the source said.

Levi has since moved from Los Angeles to Texas and has been focusing on faith-based projects, which some insiders suggest may be a strategic career move.

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