Is Zachary Levi’s Shazam! the hero DC needs?
When Aquaman pulled in a whopping $2 billion at the box office, it proved superheroes don’t necessarily have to be household names to connect with audiences. Now Zachary Levi is helping DC score another win with the lesser-known Shazam!
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Zachary Levi says he didn’t have to do much to reconnect with his inner child to play the title role in Shazam!. In fact, he says his inner child never really left him.
The latest superhero entry into the DC Extended universe brings a very welcome lightness and sense of fun to what has at times been a dark and dour franchise, as it follows the story of the 15-year-old Billy Batson who is granted the power to transform into a practically invulnerable adult, simply by uttering the word ‘Shazam’.
Levi, who played the lead role in hit action-comedy Chuck for five seasons as well as providing the voice for Flynn Ryder in Disney’s much loved cartoon Tangled, brings a blend of charm, heart, earnestness and comedic timing that’s just right for the faintly ridiculous — even for a superhero film — notion of a teenager learning how to use almost godlike powers.
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“Fortunately for me my inner child has never really gone away,” the effusive actor says with a laugh.
“I think that’s a very large part of the reason why I got this job because they saw that in me, that kind of enthusiasm and optimism and whatnot. I care about people and all of that kind of directly translates into Billy and Shazam.”
Levi says that of all the heroes in the various comic book worlds, Shazam is the purest form of wish fulfilment.
The character, confusingly once called Captain Marvel until a legal dispute forced the name change, was created in 1939 and quickly became one of the most successful comic book titles, outselling even Superman.
“I can’t imagine any of the creators or Superman or Batman, or Stan Lee creating any of Marvel — none of them would have done any of that had they not been a kid first who wished that they could fly,” he says.
“And Shazam is that.”
Certainly it’s wish fulfilment of the highest order for a man-child who used to run around playing superheroes with his friends — and still dreams of a scientific miracle.
“I mean I am 38 and I still wake up every morning hoping that my genes have mutated and I can teleport,” he says.
“You’re laughing — but I am not kidding. I mean I know my genes aren’t going to do that, but eventually maybe if scientists get their act together … I can’t wait for all that cool stuff.”
Levi had something of a false start in his superhero career quest as part of the rival Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He was cast as Fandral, one of Chris Hemsworth’s trio of Asgardian buddies in Thor: The Dark World — but admits that the reality of the part was rather underwhelming.
He made a swift exit from the third film, Ragnarok, at the hands of Cate Blanchett’s Hela, which he says turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I’m not the man making all those decisions but if I was I would have made the Warriors Three a much cooler part of that franchise,” he says.
“But they did what they did and in the third movie we just showed up and died. Which was a little bittersweet in the moment but it all completely worked out in my favour because had I not been killed off in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) I would not have been reborn in the DCU (DC Universe).”
Thanks in large part to Hugh Jackman and his infamous steamed chicken and protein shakes at all hours diet to bulk up for Wolverine, it’s become de rigueur for wannabe-superheroes to share their extreme training tales.
And while Levi admits he became addicted to working out six days at a week and scoffing 3000 calories a day, and has kept up the training, it’s a mental health message that’s closer to his heart.
He says he has long been dealing with what he calls “a pretty gnarly childhood with some gnarly household stuff” and just before he was cast as Shazam, he endured a horror year during which he was divorced and his mother died.
“Darkness can set in and you really need to go and take care of that,” he says.
“I hit a breaking point and went and did some really intensive therapy and saved my own life and really learned what it meant to love yourself. And literally on the heels of that I booked Shazam!.
“After I went and took care of my heart and my mind and really started digging deep into my own mental and emotional health, all of a sudden these doors started opening for me and I don’t think that is any coincidence.”
Despite his long comic book history, Shazam is undoubtedly a lesser known superhero compared to his more high-profile DC stablemates such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
But with this film woven into the fabric of that universe, Levi hopes that he will have the chance to team up with — or face off with — some of those other heroes, as has happened regularly in the comics in the past.
“I don’t know how it would come about or whatever but I think even for a moment to have Shazam and Superman fight would be awesome,” he says.
“I think all of the fans would lose their minds over that. And of course I would have to win. Or having a foot race with the Flash would be fun like happened at the end of Justice League — and of course I would win.
“And totally falling in love with Wonder Woman because she’s stunning and gorgeous and I am 15 inside. And of course I would win.”
One thing he’s not concerned with is superhero fatigue or the notion that superheroes have to be household names to connect with audiences, citing the $2 billion success of Aquaman as an example.
“I think now audiences around the world are accustomed to seeing really awesome superhero movies,” he says.
“You don’t necessarily need to know who the superhero is, you just know you are going to get a good time out of it. I can only assume that’s the psychology behind it. Or, and this is also a very strong possibility, Jason Momoa is just one of the most attractive people to have fallen from heaven and everyone just wanted to go and stare into his eyes for two hours. There’s also that.”
Shazam! opens April 4.
Originally published as Is Zachary Levi’s Shazam! the hero DC needs?