In 2023, Zachary Levi‘s Shazam! Fury of the Gods was one of three sequels released in the limbo between the DCEU and DCU. Though it attempted to carry on the extended universe arc, the film did no favors to either of the DC sagas. Meanwhile, Levi’s off-screen rhetoric made him a constant source of public scrutiny, debate, and controversy.
His divisive political opinions, anti-vax stance, unpopular take on Hollywood, and lack of box office pull have gradually turned him into an industry pariah. Below are a few of the reasons why Hollywood is not comfortable casting Zachary Levi anymore.
1. Zachary Levi Hopes Trump Tariffs Will Benefit His $100M Movie Studio
After being alienated by most of Hollywood, Zachary Levi tries to open his own little movie town in Austin, Texas. His $100 million movie studio will become a mecca for the contentious stars and filmmakers sidelined in L.A. In the meantime, Levi hopes that his foundling studio will benefit from 2 things:
First: Trump’s decision to levy 100% taxes on producers who shoot in foreign countries will force more filmmakers to look homeward (Variety). Wyldwood Studios, Levi’s company, could be one of those production houses that houses, finances, and profits from making more films in the coming years, given that LA is already so flooded to the brim with a lineup of films in development.
Second: A bill, introduced by a Republican senator and widely campaigned for by Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, and Taylor Sheridan, has led the Texas Senate to propose pouring half a billion dollars into film production. Being new to the scene and set in Texas, Levi’s Wyldwood Studios comes at an incredibly opportune time in the business of filmmaking and production.
2. Zachary Levi’s Sly Dig at James Gunn For Enabling Nepotism in DCU
During the tail end of 2023, DC was becoming a hellhole of failed projects that were neither fulfilling their role in the DCEU nor helping establish the future stronghold and foundation for DCU. Amid such a dubious and troubling time, Levi took a bold swing by delivering a sly jab about James Gunn. In this matter, however, the public opinion was already working in his favor.
In an interview with Comic Book, Levi made a sly comment about DC chief James Gunn. Fans were already calling out the director for cherry-picking those he favored and giving them roles as he sees fit, be it by recasting them or shifting them from DCEU to the DCU, regardless of continuity. Angry fans questioned whether Henry Cavill and other DCEU cast’s firing was necessary when Jennifer Holland could easily waltz from one timeline to the next.
Levi, whose future as Shazam was looking incredible bleak by the day, was faced with the same dilemma. After being informed how Sean Gunn had been cast as Maxwell Lord after his role as Weasel in Creature Commandos, Levi said:
Listen, when you’re the brother of the guy who runs DC, I guess you get to play whoever you want.
Although he may have spoken the public’s thoughts out loud, Levi could have garnered a red mark for being so blasé about senior filmmakers in the industry.
3. Zachary Levi’s Movies Have Failed to Earn Steady Profits
Since Shazam! in 2019, Levi failed to mention a steady assortment of output when it came to films. The sequel, which arrived in March 2023, would then become one in a slew of heavy blows to his ongoing Hollywood career.
The DCEU sequel earned $134.1 million against a budget of $110–125 million (via Box Office Mojo). However, the film also suffered financial losses and received a bad rap for being one of the final nails in DCEU’s coffin.
Beyond Shazam 2, Levi has also claimed a similar fate with Harold and the Purple Crayon and Spy Kids: Armageddon. Both films were a critical and commercial failure, not unlike the Shazam sequel, and slipped Levi further down the ladder of Hollywood demand.
4. Zachary Levi Alienated Hollywood With His Political Opinion
Politics and art have often gone hand in hand, but only when the discourse is united on one theme and rallies against another. Zachary Levi’s politics have often drawn outrage from the people. The actor’s personal conservative views have clashed with the liberal opinions of Hollywood as well as the majority.
Among some of the issues that alienated Hollywood from Levi was his personal endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy and Donald Trump during and after the Presidential race. He publicly called for the “closeted conservatives” of Hollywood to step up and rally against the “erosion” of the industry by voting for the latter. [Deadline]
However, Zachary Levi is aware of the repercussions of his decisions (Variety):
I know that there are people who would prefer not to work with me now because of my opinions. My team has let me know. They haven’t given me any specific names, but there are people who prefer not to work with me at this time. And it’s unfortunate. I knew that was probably going to happen. I didn’t make this decision blindly or casually.
Contrarily, he acknowledged that he could also be wrong about his own beliefs: “We are all capable of being bamboozled. I could be getting bamboozled right now, putting my trust into leaders that I helped to get elected,” he confessed in the same Variety interview.
5. Zachary Levi vs. Dwayne Johnson Drama Over Shazam 2’s Box Office Flop
The failure of Shazam! Fury of the Gods was already putting Zachary Levi on shaky grounds with studio execs. His outspoken conservative politics further divided the audience. However, tempers boiled over when the actor reposted a report published by The Wrap that claimed Dwayne Johnson had vetoed the idea of a Black Adam cameo in the film’s post-credit scene.
The article further went on to suggest that Johnson’s refusal to appear in Shazam 2 had “kneecapped” the sequel. Levi, reposting the news report on his social media, suggested that he, too, blamed his DC co-star for the sequel’s failure. This landed him in hot water with the public, who claimed he was trying to shift the blame to another actor for his own movie’s failure – an accusation that he fervently denied. [The Independent]
6. Zachary Levi’s Views on Covid Vaccines Drew Widespread Criticism
COVID-19 vaccines have led to much division and controversy among the people. While some were strictly against following WHO-mandated protocols on masks and vaccines, the majority had already taken as many medical precautions as necessary during the pandemic. Zachary Levi fell in the former category.
In a Twitter post that asked, “Do you agree or not that Pfizer is a real danger to the world?” the Shazam! star replied, “Hardcore agree.” (Variety) This drew widespread criticism from fans who claimed he should not be using his fame, reach, and influence to promote unsubstantiated claims.
For Hollywood, Levi had already become persona non grata with his increasingly divisive opinions on politics, anti-vaccine claims, and box office flops – the holy trinity of getting blacklisted.
7. Shazam 2 Reviews Tanked His Superhero Career
The critics’ reviews of Shazam 2 were not kind. While the actor was busy drawing flak for his politics, fans and critics were busy shredding his film to pieces over its weak overall performance, from script to acting. Meanwhile, a source close to the actor revealed to 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.
Not only did Levi not reach the level of fame and universal acclaim in his superhero role as Chris Evans did with Captain America, but he also ended up on the wrong end of a dispute with The Rock that led to more public scrutiny.
In the bleak aftermath of the Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Levi was faced with a great many challenges. His outspoken views regarding Trump and Pfizer had already plunged the actor into controversy. But worse still was the fact that he made these declarations during the run-up to his DCEU sequel.
When the movie flopped, Levi had racked up one too many strikes against himself to save face in Hollywood. Opening his own $100 million studio in Texas was the only wise way to go.
8. Zachary Levi Faced Public Outrage Over Mocking Britney Spears’ Conservatorship
On February 25, 2023, Zachary Levi shared an article titled “Millions Who Hashtagged ‘Free Britney’ Starting to Change Their Opinions on Conservatorships” on his Instagram story (via CBR). The article seemingly denigrated the fan movement to free the 2000s pop icon from a 13-year-long conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears.
At the height of the public’s outpouring of support for Britney Spears, Levi’s post landed sourly, and the fans did not hold back on letting the actor know about their opinion on the matter. The post, which came in close association with the Pfizer tweet, was eviscerated for downplaying mental health issues and Spears’ struggle for over a decade.
By the time Shazam! Fury of the Gods released, Zachary Levi was drowning in controversy, and no cinematic comeback could have saved the star from being blacklisted by the industry and his peers.
Below is a table of the critical and box office reception of Levi’s Shazam! films:
What do you think of Levi’s contribution to the film industry? Let us know in the comments if you thought Shazam 2 was a worthy superhero movie.
Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be available to stream on Max.
