Zachary Levi, who has starred as Shazam in two DC films, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of the DCU.
The talk of the town regarding DC has recently centered around the new DCU that James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently planning, which is marking the end of the DCEU that has been building since 2013.
Many of the franchise's biggest names, such as Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson, are not included in any plans for the DCU. However, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which features Levi as the lead, is still set to release on March 17, 2023.
While the movie likely won't have any connection to Gunn and Safran's DCU, Levi recently teased that he may be sticking around as Shazam in the upcoming universe. More recently, however, the actor sent an encouraging message to fans regarding the future, while also bidding farewell to actors like Johnson and Cavill.
Zachary Levi Addresses the DCU's Future
Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi recently talked about the future of the DC Universe via Instagram.
Despite all of the recent DC news surfacing as of late, this marks the first time Levi has discussed some of the issues in depth.
Before getting into specifics, the actor urged fans to "take a breath" when it comes to the current state of the DCU, while also mentioning how the exit of actors like Cavill and Johnson has been "difficult for even (him)" since he "was was hoping [he] got to work with a lot of these folks:"
"Everyone, just take a breath. I know we've seen some characters, some actors that are taking an exit. And I know that's difficult. That's difficult for even me, you know what I mean? I was hoping I got to work with a lot of these folks. But it's just not the way it's going to go down right now."
In the comics, Shazam and Black Adam have shared a long history together, so many fans had speculated that the two would face off in an upcoming project.
Levi seemed to also share the same hopes, while also encouraging everyone to trust in Gunn and Safran's vision:
"Whoever is still out there all drummed up and pissed off, just trust that James is so... He understands comic books, he understands world-building. He understands how to do right by the canon, and also right by the characters, and also by the audience. And Peter is an incredible diplomat and business person. I've worked with him now for years."
The actor went on to also say that the future of DC would be "better than okay," but that fans have to respect Gunn and Safran, as well as the difficult decisions they have recently had to make:
"Just breathe, it's going to be okay. It's going to be better than okay, but we have to give them that, we have to give them some respect and trust in that. These are my two cents, you take them for whatever you want."
Will Zachary Levi Come Back to the DCU?
Many actors involved in the DCEU have already been told that their time playing their respective characters has more than likely come to an end.
It is unclear what the future will hold for Zachary Levi following the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but if Gunn and Safran were to keep any of the main heroes from the DCEU, Levi's Shazam would be the most logical since he hasn't had any interactions with the rest of the characters.
Some of Gunn and Safran's plans will be publicly released in January 2023, and due to his recent comments, it seems as though Levi has a chance to be a part of those plans.
However, Gunn revealed that his talks with Henry Cavill included discussing other possible roles for the former Superman actor to play in the DCU down the road, so if Levi doesn't end up putting on the Shazam costume again, that still doesn't mean that his time in DC is done forever.
Shazam!: Fury of the Gods will debut in theaters on March 17, 2023.
