SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS Star Zachary Levi Addresses DC Future After The Sequel Bombed

Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi has addressed the sequel's failings, admitting he's now unsure what the future holds in store for his version of the Big Red Cheese in DC Studios' new DCU...

By JoshWilding - Jul 26, 2023 07:07 AM EST

Filed Under: Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Shazam! was a critical and commercial hit when it was released back in 2019. While it didn't exactly break box office records, it was an undeniable success and remains one of the DCEU's best-reviewed movies.

In comparison, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was a dismal failure. Making a mere $133 million worldwide and receiving a clearly mixed response from critics (it has 49% Rotten Tomatoes), it's still hard to pinpoint where exactly things went so badly wrong for the sequel.

The gap between the first and second instalments was perhaps a little too big, leading to reduced interest in another story revolving around the hero. The decision to introduce newly created villains instead of picking up on the previous movie's post-credits scene tease was also questionable.

Black Adam, meanwhile, did little to help matters.

During a recent interview with The FilmUp Podcast, Shazam himself, Zachary Levi, was asked whether he'll be part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU. The latter produced the Shazam! franchise and is close friends with Levi, but after previously saying his future under DC Studios hinged on the sequel's success, the actor doesn't seem convinced.

"I don’t know what the future holds for it all because, unfortunately, the second movie was not as well received," he admitted. "I have no idea where we go from here."

Levi would go on to say that he believes the movie is one which will one day be revisited by fans and perhaps viewed in a different light.

"I just hope that or believe that history will show…it will be one of those things that people will go back, people will watch ‘Fury of the Gods’ on home streaming or on a plane or whatever, and it will be this movie that they heard so much shit about and then they will be like, ‘Well, wait a minute.'"

It's always possible but Shazam! Fury of the Gods does look like it might be the end of Levi's time as the Big Red Cheese. Between some divisive social media activity and relatively widespread criticism of his performance in the movie, that's not something a lot of fans will be upset about either.

Do you think we'll see Levi's Shazam in the DCU?

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25 Comments

AC1 - 7/26/2023, 7:32 AM

The whole DCU should be a clean-slate reboot. Still not totally keen on the pick and choose approach Gunn and Safran seem to be rolling with when it seems like they're binning 90% of the DCEU anyway, but I'm still cautiously optimistic about Superman Legacy purely based on Gunn's track record.

AliX - 7/26/2023, 9:38 AM

@AC1 - Its a complete reboot, its just some actors will return to play the same charecters from the DCEU but from what he said it'll be a completl diffrent take.

GhostDog - 7/26/2023, 7:41 AM

The meltdown he had when it was first released and not being well received was some pathetic shit to behold

philinterrupted - 7/26/2023, 8:16 AM

@GhostDog - he thinks it’s a good movie. He’s defending his opinion.

UniqNo - 7/26/2023, 9:19 AM

@GhostDog - Agreed, his intial responses was more an emotional reaction rather than a well thought out response.

But... i agree with him in saying that the movie was decent. It was not amazing, but it certainly deserved better. Id argue that its a more complete movie than Flash was.

They really should have kept the christmas release date (even as number 2 to Avatars number 1 box office numbers it would have made more.

Also James Gunn shoild have kept quiet on their plans until all of 2023's movies were out and had their chance.

GhostDog - 7/26/2023, 9:22 AM

@UniqNo - Gunn's announcement timing handicapped these last DC movies. I have to believe he is smart enough to know that would happen.

oldnoname - 7/26/2023, 9:54 AM

@philinterrupted - I never understood people's surprise when actors/writers/directors defend their movies. Are they not supposed to like it? Wouldn't you want to stick up for something you liked?

FireandBlood - 7/26/2023, 7:48 AM

Movie was okay for me, but the audience isn’t there for these middle of the road CBMs anymore. They need to stop making sequels for the sake of it, and quit picking characters out of a hat. A few good Batman and Superman movies in a row will do an infinite amount more for the brand than expanding your roster with generic superhero origins about lesser knowns

TheComedian67 - 7/26/2023, 3:38 PM

@PlusUltra -

I really think audiences are just tired of big CGI monsters.

I go back and rewatch the trailers for Captain America TFA, the first Thor, the first Iron Man, those movies presented themselves in a real world way and imo that's what resonated with audiences because like Batman 89 and X-Men, it showed that superhero movies can be taken seriously, and now we're at the point where almost everyone of these movies is a big CGI spectacle and I don't think the general audience is taking the movies seriously anymore.

FireandBlood - 7/26/2023, 5:30 PM

@TheComedian67 - Oh, I don’t disagree. We’re all tired of the same lazy CG bollocks they keep shitting out. But DC on screen is in the toilet right now, and they need to go back to formula, which is Batman and Superman. Get them right, then get them right together, and sky’s the limit. But nobody’s going to be interested in the reserves if you can’t even get your top players off the bench to win a game. They’re the pillars of the DCU that everything else follows.

mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 8:14 AM

If Gunn brings him back, he needs to at least play Shazam differently. That dumb, immature, and quips per minute Shazam was so annoying in part 2. Give us the more serious and scarred up Shazam from flashpoint because we need a new refreshing take on him.

philinterrupted - 7/26/2023, 8:17 AM

@mastakilla39 - does every DC character need to be super serious?

mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 8:31 AM

@philinterrupted - they don't, but if you reboot with the same actor....don't want to see the same crap repeated twice. Reboots are supposed to give you a new image. Even if you make Shazam black it wouldn't matter if he is still annoying.

philinterrupted - 7/26/2023, 8:53 AM

@mastakilla39 - reboots give you a fresh slate from a character development standpoint. But the the core of the character doesn’t necessarily need to change.

mastakilla39 - 7/26/2023, 9:15 AM

@philinterrupted - Yeah and the core of the character wont change with a serious take either. The core of the character should just be recognizable, not the same. fresh slate shouldn't just be a reboot with a new face and starting from the beginning again. we've seen the history of bond actors just copying sean connery and the only real fresh take on it was daniel craigs bond a more serious take.

philinterrupted - 7/26/2023, 9:19 AM

@mastakilla39 - I’m sorry, Roger Moore was not copying Sean Connery.

BlackStar25 - 7/26/2023, 8:19 AM

Shame....Thought this was a good movie. Still thought this should have been Shazam Vs Black Adam tho easily...

Matador - 7/26/2023, 9:01 AM

@BlackStar25 - That would have at least drawn in multiple audience's would have been like a pay-per view match up Shazam vs. Black Adam; too bad Johnson didn't want to play ball and his ego got bigger than his head.

Th3Batman - 7/26/2023, 8:21 AM

No one's revisiting this later on, that simply doesn't happen with mediocre movies. No one will remember this happened in...what movie are we talking about again ?

HulkisHoly - 7/26/2023, 8:28 AM

Wasn’t a bad film. But it just couldn’t justify its existence with the coming DCU hanging over it.

Personally, I think Levi should just be cast as a different character for the DCU.

If they bring Shazam it should be a different actor/ reboot.

DevilsDreams - 7/26/2023, 8:53 AM

49% on critic reviews, but 86% audience score... does paint a bit of a picture itself.

OK whilst it didn't do great at the box office, you have to wonder if the discussion of the DCU reboot impacted those figures?

Overall the first is the better of the two films, well paced and enjoyable, it definitely feels the second film struggled with character development and pacing, maybe it could have done better with a younger or slightly less jaded Billy Batson, whilst Asher's performance isn't bad, you have to bare in mind that he was what 18-19? while filming Shazam 2, so when Zachary is playing Shazam as a goofy youngster it doesn't feel like it's the embodiment of the same character that Asher is playing.

slickrickdesigns - 7/26/2023, 9:02 AM

Let me finish that.
Wait a minute… this 20 year old dude is supposed to be the same character as this guy in his 40’s?

TheHumanSpider2 - 7/26/2023, 9:44 AM

Zack should be happy Blue Beetle is about to take his spot as the lowest grossing DCEU movie ever.

Forthas - 7/26/2023, 9:55 AM

The problm is not so much the movie for me...it is the tone it sets for the DC film universe. The wacky, slapstick humor was over the top. If you want to sell this as a children's stand alone then great do that. But if they want to sell this as part of a larger universe that should appeal to children and adults, then WB should keep that sh*t to themselves.

Tufasrox - 7/26/2023, 12:51 PM

The fact that they didn't do S vs BA or Mister Mind after the tease just goes to show how dumb they were. Made up generic crappy villains and overly annoying Shazam killed this. And rightly so, it was a terrible movie.

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SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS Star Zachary Levi Addresses DC Future After The Sequel Bombed

Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi has addressed the sequel's failings, admitting he's now unsure what the future holds in store for his version of the Big Red Cheese in DC Studios' new DCU...

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