Top Shazam star hints at his DC exit amidst James Gunn reboot

Shazam! star Zachary Levi might be affected by the constant changes in the DCU. Zachary has been playing the role of the titular character since 2019, that broke the chain of consecutively disappointing DCU releases with a light-hearted comedy.

Dwayne Johnson, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot landed in jeopardy after director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran took over DC Studios. With a brand new plan in mind, James Gunn wants to bring new, obscure DC characters to the frontline, all the while weaving together a connected universe much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The cast of Shazam! Fury of the Gods (Image via DC Studios)

The Shazam! star seems like the right fit for the new DCU under James Gunn's leadership, but many fans think he might exit altogether. However, Zachary Levi recently spoke about this claim and set the record straight.

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Shazam! star Zachary Levi wants fans to trust James Gunn's process even if he's not a part of it

Zachary Levi is done with all the online rumors about his potential DCU exit. The star took to Instagram Live to let fans know that he's still a part of the DCU.

Levi still said that he has no idea what the future holds for him at DCU future. However, he's confident that Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a great film, and it's going to do great with fans.

He said that he isn't sure what will happen to him and believes that he is in a pretty good position as they have made a great movie. Zachary added that he thinks and hopes the film will do reasonably well.

The star added that if James Gunn and the others want to go in a different direction, he's fine with it. He told fans that he just hopes they enjoyed his journey as the DC superhero. He continued:

"But again, regardless of that, if they decide at some point that this is the way we gotta go — them’s the breaks, that’s how it goes. And at whatever point I finished playing the role of Shazam, I hope people enjoyed my tenure playing the role."

Zachary Levi as the Champions of the Gods (Image via DC Studios)

Zachary Levi stole the hearts of many when he portrayed the adorably funny titular character. It was a breath of fresh air in the DCU, and for the first time, there was a different formula from prior films cohesive enough to make an impact.

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Shazam's inception and eventual live-action debut

The Shazam! family in the comics (Image via DC comics)

DC Comics introduced the hero in 1941 under the name of Captain Marvel. Originally, Billy Batson wasn't the one carrying the powers, but Jebediah, a shepherd from Canaan who received the powers of six gods as their champion. The champion was named Vlarem 9000 years ago until the powers eventually passed down to Billy Batson.

The superhero was penned only a year after Superman but received a TV series before the Man of Steel cartoons. A series based around the superhero aired in the '70s starring Les Tremayne and Michael Gray.

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Shazam! Fury of the Gods release date amid the DCU shakeup

The sequel to the 2019 film received many delays before settling on a release date of March 17, 2023. While fans expected that along with the many unfortunate exits and cancelations of upcoming projects, the sequel would also end up as collateral damage.

However, James Gunn and Peter Safran are busy trying to craft a new DC slate, which they'll reveal at the beginning of 2023. The performance of the upcoming film with the audience and the box office reception stand to dictate whether the actor will stay or not.

Zachary Levi in the 2019 DCEU film, Shazam! (Image via DC Studios)

James Gunn's creative vision with the character's journey also affects Levi's DCU future. While it's not clear whether Zachary Levi is going to be part of the new slate with future projects, we can hope to him in the DCU after the sequel as well.