Zachary Levi Talks 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' and Playing a Superhero
Moviefone speaks with Zachary Levi about 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods.' "If you liked the first movie, we were able to capture the same DNA," Levi said.
Opening in theaters on March 17th is the 12th installment of the DC Extended Universe franchise, and the sequel to 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ entitled ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ which was once again directed by David F. Sandberg (‘Annabelle: Creation’).
What is the plot of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’
Following the events of 2019’s ‘Shazam!,’ Billy Batson (Asher Angel), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), and their foster siblings can transform into powerful superheroes using the magic words “Shazam.” But with the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) missing, when the daughters of Atlas (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler) return to Earth to claim back their magic, it’s up to Billy, Freddy, and their brothers and sisters to save the wizard and stop the evil sisters.
Who is in the cast of ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’
‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ once again stars Asher Angel and Zachary Levi ('American Underdog') as Billy Batson/Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer and Adam Brody as Freddy Freeman, Meagan Good and Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Ross Butler and Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, D.J. Cotrona and Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield, and Djimon Hounsou as the Wizard Shazam.
Joining the sequel are Oscar winner Helen Mirren (‘The Queen’) as Hespera, Lucy Liu (‘Charlie’s Angels’) as Kalypso, and Rachel Zegler (‘West Side Story’) as Anthea.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Zachery Levi about his work on ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ how Billy has changed since the first film, what playing this character has meant to him, working with Mirren, Liu and Zegler, and what fans can expect from the sequel.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, and Lucy Liu.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to someone sitting down to watch this movie right now to prepare for the experience they are about to have?
Zachary Levi: I don't know that there's anything I can say that can adequately prepare you for the amazing adventure you're about to go on. But listen, if you liked the first movie, and I really hope that you did, I hope everybody got to see that, we were able to capture the same DNA. The same nugget of charm and humor and heart and family and adventure, all that stuff. We protected that. We brought that over to the new movie. But then we got more money and more time to make it even splashier and bigger. We got dragons! I mean, it's all that stuff, so you're welcome. You're in for a treat.
Related Article: Comic-Con 2022: WB Brings ‘Black Adam’ and ‘Shazam!' Sequel Trailers
MF: In this sequel, Billy is trying to find his place in the world both as a hero and as a young man. Can you talk about that and your approach to playing the character this time around?
ZL: Now it's about three years later in life. He went from 14 to 17, almost 18 now, and that's a big jump in a kid's life. The rest of the kids, they've all been superheroes now for about three years and attempting to be a super team, but bumbling through that a lot. So Billy knowing that he is the leader, he's responsible for giving all the other kids their powers, he takes it very seriously. He wants to make sure that he's doing his best as a leader, as a brother, and as a son. Simultaneously, he's about to turn 18 and age out of the foster system, and he's terrified that he's going to lose this family that he worked so hard and took so long to find. So that's kind of where he's at emotionally as we meet him in this movie.
MF: What has it meant to you to play this character over these two films, to work in the DC universe and for so many young kids be the embodiment of Shazam?
ZL: It's the coolest dude. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamt of being an actor, and I'm an actor. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamt about being a superhero, a legitimate one, and I get to be as legitimate a superhero as anyone gets to be, pretending to be one. This particular character is so delightful because I was a huge fan of Tom Hanks in ‘Big’ and Christopher Reeve and ‘Superman,’ and I get to do both in one role. It's a dream come true, honestly. Listen, I got to have fun in the Marvel universe (‘Thor: The Dark World’). Now I get to be my own man in the DC universe. I mean, my little nerdy heart is geeking out on the highest levels. It's so fun.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler on this project?
ZL: Delightful on every level, honestly. They are just exquisite human beings. Lovely, talented, so professional, but also just so human and humble. They were delightful to work with on set and on camera and just as delightful, if not more, off camera and living life.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods:’
- ‘Man of Steel' (2013)
- 'Justice League: War' (2014)
- 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016)
- 'Justice League' (2017)
- ‘Wonder Woman' (2017)
- ‘Shazam!' (2019)
- 'Wonder Woman 1984' (2020)
- 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' (2021)
- 'Black Adam' (2022)
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'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is produced by New Line Cinema, The Safran Company, and DC Films, and is scheduled for release on March 17th.