In the DC Extended Universe, Zachary Levi played Shazam, while in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he played Fandral. Levi, on the other hand, attributes his casting as Shazam to a failed audition for a much bigger MCU project.
Levi stated that he auditioned for the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy film during a recent guest appearance on The Playlist’s The Fourth Well podcast. After director James Gunn invited him to read for the role, Levi said he got very deep into the audition process. Of course, Levi would go on to lose the job to Chris Pratt, but he claims that auditioning for it aided him later on.
“Fortunately, I was in good standing with James, I try to be in good standing with as many people as I can be and try to be a decent person, and I think between that and how well James thought I did in the Star-Lord test, he said, ‘Yeah man, you really should give Zach an opportunity at this. I really think he could be great.”
Levi went on to note that while he’s not sure if Gunn’s recommendation was what took him over the top for the part, he is “indebted” to him for believing in him. Of course, Levi’s portrayal of Shazam was praised by fans and critics alike, with many hailing the picture as one of the greatest in the DC Extended Universe. Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel, wrapped production earlier this year and is set to hit theatres in 2023.
