Shazam! actor Zachary Levi recently had an honest discussion on Instagram about the new DCU under James Gunn and Peter Safran, which included calling out the "blatantly false" DC rumors that are going around online.
Ahead of Shazam! Fury of the Gods' premiere in March 2023, the veteran actor has been at the forefront lately in setting the record straight about some DC-related scoops.
For starters, Levi directly responded to a fan from Twitter about the rumor that he will be recast as Shazam amid the ongoing plans for a DC reboot, noting that not everyone should believe everything they see on the internet:
"Oooh, I really wouldn’t go believing everything you see on the internet. I’m Gucci, Ash. We all Gucci. "
This comes after Gunn himself debunked a plethora of DC rumors online, such as recasting Justice League actors and not The Suicide Squad cast members, as well as the cancellation of HBO Max's Green Lantern show.
Zachary Levi on 'Blatantly Wrong' DC Rumors
In a video on Instagram live, Shazam! actor Zachary Levi discussed the DC rumors that are spreading online while also teasing his superhero future.
Levi first called out the scoopers spreading these rumors, pointing out that many of them are "blatantly false" and "blatantly wrong takes."
The DC star then opened up about the departure of former DC Films Head Walter Hamada while also offering high praise to new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran:
"I've seen a lot of chatter, a lot of people online saying so many things. And a lot of those things are just blatantly false, are just blatantly wrong takes. And I think a lot of that is also on purpose, I think a lot of those people out there, I don't know if they're looking at this live right now, because a lot of those people are the type of people that don't like people like me. But the type of people that are drumming up all this, if I could just take a moment, if you are listening to this... I'm not the boss, I don't know what ultimately is going on, but I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that... Listen, I loved Walter Hamada, I loved him as a boss, I love him as a human being, and I hope to work with him wherever he goes, but, I couldn't have hand-chosen two better people to be the people that are helping to now guide where the DC universe is now going."
Levi previously addressed his uncertain future as Shazam during Comic-Con Portugal 2022, saying that he hopes that Safran and Gunn have "a plan and a future for Shazam" in the DCU moving forward.
In the actor's latest Instagram live, Levi acknowledged the fact that the things that he said during conventions (like the one from Portugal) "continue to be taken out of context" since they want to "stir up bullshit and drama:"
"Ya know, some things I've said at a convention, well actually, multiple things 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 bullshit and drama. Well, you can stop that guys."
While noting that he has no idea about his future as Shazam, Levi hyped up Fury of the Gods, teasing that "it's even better than the first one:"
"Like I said, I have no idea what's 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. I'd 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 fucking 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's even reflected in the box office as well, and I hope we do even better than we did the first time. And hopefully, hopefully, this does enough to silence, or at least quiet, the haters that are out that so purposefully want to be hateful about, I think, a really charming movie and a charming branch of what DC is."
The actor ended by leaving a promise to fans that they made "something really good" in Shazam 2:
"I understand that we're not as dark and as brooding as a lot of the other titles have been, and we're not supposed to be. And, you know, I think we made something really good. And I think if you haven't seen it, you give yourself the opportunity to see it. And the new one. And maybe open your heart a little bit to it and recognize it."
Zachary Levi's Comments Reflect DC's New Age of Transparency
Zachary Levi is not messing around when it comes to calling out the fake DC rumors. The actor's latest tirade is clearly emulating the DCU's age of transparency now that newly-announced co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are now in charge.
Amid Gunn's consistent act of calling out fake scoops, Levi's latest honest comments about the "bullshit" rumors could likely serve as an eye-opener that the DCU is not to be messed with.
Fans have already seen how quickly DC actors such as Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson have addressed their superhero future to avoid confusion among fans, and it's safe to assume that similar moves will continue as the franchise's next slate is poised to be announced in 2023.
This move is important as it allows fans to be made aware of what's really going on with the DCU, especially after an unfortunate chain of events that led to the DCEU's collapse.
Having this level of transparency allows everyone involved to at least minimize speculation since more concrete updates will emerge straight from the source.
Hopefully, this tactic will benefit the DCU as it embraces an impending reboot.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to premiere in theaters on March 17, 2023.
