Despite Recent Twitter Controversy, It Sounds Like Zachary Levi Is Going To Keep Playing Shazam
James Gunn and Peter Safran have finally unveiled their plans for the future of the DC Universe, and while Shazam himself (Zachary Levi and Asher Angel) wasn't exactly front and center in the announcement, Gunn has confirmed that Levi is expected to continue on in the role (via Variety). The "Chuck" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" actor came under fire last week after sharing a statement on social media that seemingly expressed an anti-vaccine sentiment. Specifically, Levi took to Twitter on Saturday to express agreement over criticism of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
While there's nothing wrong with going after wealthy pharmaceutical giants, it's unclear if Levi was against the company itself or implying that he had an issue with the COVID-19 vaccine. Levi followed the tweet up with another stating "Just one example of what I'm referring to..." and linked to a DOJ page involving a case that states "Justice Department Announces Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in Its History" with this additional info: "Pfizer to Pay $2.3 Billion for Fraudulent Marketing," which seems to imply he wasn't speaking specifically about the Covid vaccine. Still, in this day and age, when misinformation spreads like wildfire on social media platforms like Twitter, it's somewhat difficult to parse what Levi was going for here.
Levi wasn't mentioned by name in today's video announcement from James Gunn, but the character Shazam was: "Shazam has always been off kind of in his own part of the DCU, so he connects very well," the DC Studios co-chair and co-CEO says in a six-minute video announcing a slate of future DC projects. However, as Variety reports, Gunn was more candid about Levi's status in the DCU at a private press event yesterday, which was also attended by /Film.
Disagreeable statements versus 'morally reprehensible' behavior
"Just real simply: actors and filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with and things that I don't agree with," James Gunn explained when asked directly about the actor's tweet. "That's going to happen. I don't have a list of things that somebody should say because of what I think." He added, "And you know, I can't be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don't agree with."
Zachary Levi's comments are far from the biggest controversy within the DCU: That would likely be the studio's continued association with Ezra Miller, the star of "The Flash" who reportedly entered treatment last summer after months of headlines involving multiple arrests and accusations of abusive, erratic, and dangerous behavior. After explaining that he doesn't expect actors and filmmakers to agree with him at all times, Gunn did seem to bring up a caveat that differentiates between a bad opinion and an unforgivable action: "By the same token," he said, "if somebody's doing something morally reprehensible then that's a different story."
While it sounds like Levi's behavior doesn't rise to the level of "reprehensible" to Gunn, it also sounds like he has a case-by-case approach to situations like these. "We have to take all that stuff into account," Gunn said. "It's a balance. It's [a] modern world and it's a different place." The filmmaker and executive is, of course, no stranger to controversy. In 2018, he was fired by Marvel after offensive past joke tweets of his came to light. During this time, Gunn moved over from Marvel to DC.
However, the Marvel decision was later reversed, and Gunn returned to Marvel to make both "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" and the upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," due out on May 5, 2023. After the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," Gunn's time at Marvel will seemingly be over, and he'll be solely working with Peter Safran to create DC projects. As for Levi, his upcoming projects include an untitled "Spy Kids" sequel and the family films "Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget," and "Harold and the Purple Crayon"
In "Fury of the Gods, "Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world." "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" is set to open in theaters on March 17, 2023. Whether or not there will be a third "Shazam" film with Levi remains to be seen.