Yahoo Lifestyle Zachary Levi Apparently Thought "Shazam!" Would Launch Him Into Chris Evans-Level Stardom, But Now He's Just Left Feeling "Bitter"
Apparently, Zachary Levi has some gripes with the aftermath of his role in two big budget superhero movies.
You might know him from the 2007 TV show Chuck.
Perhaps you know him as the voice of Flynn Rider from Tangled.
Or, you remember him from the Shazam! movies.
Regardless of your entry point to Zachary's acting career, it's all taking a backseat to his recent endorsement by Donald Trump.
Zachary attended a Sept. 28 Trump rally in Michigan to join a conversation between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former US representative Tulsi Gabbard. "We're here to make sure that we are going to take back this country, we are going to make it great again, we are going to make it healthy again," he said.
"I do believe, that of the two choices that we have — and we only have two — Donald Trump, President Trump is the man that can get us there. And he's gonna get us there because he's gonna have the backing and the support and the wisdom and the knowledge and the fight that exists in Robert Kennedy Jr. and former representative Tulsi Gabbard."
When the internet caught wind of Zachary's involvement, including his declaration that supporting Trump was "career suicide" that would ruin his chances of working because "Hollywood is a very, very liberal town," people roasted him.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, an insider who knew Zachary for years provided insight into the actor's complicated relationship with Hollywood.
"When he was cast as Shazam, it was literally his dream," the insider said, per THR.
"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," they continued.
Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection, Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection
Zachary starred in the 2019 DC Comics superhero movie Shazam! The first film was well-received, earning $367 million worldwide and a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods didn't do as well, only earning $134 million at the box office with a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It joins the list of one of the worst openings for DC Extended Universe films like Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad (both released during the pandemic).
Since then, Zachary has starred in Harold and the Purple Crayon, a film based on a popular children's book. However, it was considered a box-office bomb and not received well by critics.
Here's what people are saying in response to Zachary allegedly thinking he'd be as big as The Rock and Chris Evans:
Levi made the error of pursuing the right wing grift after his career was already dead. If he’d trusted the Shazam 2 box office flop predictions instead of coping he might’ve been able to salvage something.
— Sigmatic (@sigmatic_) October 11, 2024
Lmao social awareness severely lacking 😂Chris Evan’s earned his status forever ago not bc of an MCU role 😂
— Ethan Price (@Paradox_EP) October 11, 2024
who lied to him 😭
— 🌊 (@dilfshub) October 11, 2024
divorced dad energy
— Angelica Reed (@Angelica_Reed1) October 11, 2024
Poor thing. He'll have to live with the fact that he's Zachary Levi.
— OurMovieGuide (@OurMovieGuide) October 11, 2024
Do you think Shazam! should've made Zachary Levi as big as Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson?
