Between Chuck and Tangled, it felt like only a matter of time before Zachary Levi would break into Hollywood's A-List with a major movie role.
That came in 2019 with Shazam!, one of the best-reviewed DCEU movies ever. The actor received praise for his portrayal of a teenager in a superhero's body. However, perhaps thanks to the pandemic or what some deemed a one-note performance, it never really happened for Levi.
The actor has shown up in Spy Kids: Armageddon and Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, but Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Harold and the Purple Crayon seemingly served as the end of Levi's attempt to become a mainstream movie star.
Not helping matters were his social media rants after the Shazam! sequel proved to be a critical and commercial flop. Levi has also become something of a controversial figure online for sharing anti-vaxxer content and following transphobic X accounts.
This year has seen him endorse Robert Kennedy Jr. for U.S. President and Donald Trump. As is often the case with politics, there are those who have praised his actions and others angered by them.
Levi has already said he committed "career suicide" by endorsing Trump in a "very, very liberal" Hollywood. Now, one insider who has known Levi for years tells The Hollywood Reporter, "When he was cast as Shazam, it was literally his dream. He thought this was his ticket to being The Rock or Chris Evans. But it didn’t happen for him, and he’s bitter about that."
The former Shazam has reportedly left Los Angeles to live on a cattle ranch in Texas. As the trade put it, he's since become focused on starring in faith-based projects which appeal to his conservative fanbase. So, while Levi will find a career, it seems he's pretty much done in Hollywood.
While his politics might have played a role in that, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Harold and the Purple Crayon, and his overall dwindling popularity are arguably the bigger issues.
Levi, who previously blamed The Rock for the Shazam! sequel's issues, previously said, "The audience score is still quite good, but the critics’ score was, I don’t know, very oddly and perplexingly low, and people were insanely unkind."
"Listen, I’ve been a part of things and as much as I wish that they were good, I know that they’re okay, I know they missed a lot. I’m not saying Shazam! Fury of the Gods is some perfect Orson Welles masterpiece, but it’s a good darn movie," he continued. "I don’t know what the future holds, because Fury of the Gods was not well received. I have no idea where we go from here."
Levi isn't expected to reprise his role as Shazam in DC Studios' DCU. The door has been left open for Dwayne Johnson to return as Black Adam, though we don't anticipate that happening either.