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Zachary Levi shares update on his future as Shazam amid James Gunn’s major shake-up at DC

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director James Gunn is bringing major changes to the DC universe

Isobel Lewis
Thursday 22 December 2022 07:44 GMT
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Shazam! - Trailer

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Zachary Levi has responded to speculation that he has been replaced as Shazam as part of a shake-up at DC.

In October, it was announced that James Gunn, along with Peter Safran, had been hired as the new co-chair and CEO of DC Studios.

A number of major changes followed, including the removal of Henry Cavill as Superman, the news that Wonder Woman 3 had been shelved and, most recently, the pushing back of Black Adam 2.

On Tuesday (20 December), Levi gave an update on his future in the DC Universe in response to a fan who shared their frustration that the actor allegedly wouldn’t be returning as superhero Shazam, despite being “close friends” with Gunn.

“Oooh, I really wouldn’t go believing everything you see on the internet,” Levi responded. “I’m Gucci… We all Gucci.”

Levi will next appear in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which is released in May 2023.

Earlier this month, Cavill announced on Instagram that he would no longer play the Superman in the DC Universe, adding that the decision had not been his own despite being asked to announce his return in December.

Around the same time, it was revealed that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 3 film had been shelved days after Gal Gadot tweeted about her excitement for her “next chapter” as the superhero to begin.

However, Gunn has since denied that he “booted” Gadot from the franchise and confronted the “unkind” backlash that came from his and Safran’s appointments.

“We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us,” he said.

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“No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.”

On Tuesday (20 December), more news came from Dwayne Johnson, who shared that he had been told by Gunn that the sequel to his long-awaited superhero film Black Adam would not be part of DC’s “first chapter” of storytelling.

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