The future of existing DC actors in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC universe is unclear. Gunn reportedly has not ruled out the return of actors who previously played DC heroes.
Then earlier this month, he indicated “Blue Beetle” star Xolo Mariduena will make the jump to the new interconnected DC universe, saying in a Threads post: “Blue Beetle (played by the wonderful Xolo Mariduena) and a handful of other characters will continue on in the DCU”.
So which other actors could be returning as their characters? We know some of “The Suicide Squad” characters are making the jump including Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller.
One person who hasn’t heard either way though is “Shazam” star Zachary Levi. In a recent FilmUp podcast episode (via Coming Soon), Levi was asked if he could share an update on whether he will reprise his role as Billy Batson/Shazam in the DC Universe. Levi responded:
“I don’t know what the future holds for it all because, unfortunately, the second movie was not as well received. The audience score is still quite good, but the critics’ score was very oddly and perplexingly low, and people were insanely unkind.
I’ve been a part of things, and as much as I wish they were good, I know they’re okay. I know that they miss a lot. And I’m not saying Shazam! Fury of the Gods is some perfect… Orson Welles-like masterpiece, but it’s a good darn movie.
I think even just the world, from the first movie to the second movie, the world has shifted so much. Social media has shifted so much. Hate, online hate and haters and trolls, and factions and all that has just gotten more galvanized in its toxicity. I think there are people who genuinely, unfortunately, want to destroy certain projects because they don’t like them, or they don’t like me, or they don’t like other people involved in them or whatever.
I have no idea where we go from here. I just hope that or believe that history will show… it will be one of those things that people will go back, people will watch Fury of the Gods on home streaming or on a plane or whatever, and it will be this movie that they heard so much s— about and then they will be like, ‘Well, wait a minute.'”
Levi first portrayed the character in the 2019 film, which was well-received and a solid box-office success. This year’s sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” ended up a bomb both critically and financially – making just $133 million worldwide off a $125 million budget.
