Shazam’s Zachary Levi Thought No One Would Cast Him Opposite The Rock

Shazam! star Zachary Levi thought he wouldn’t be cast opposite The Rock’s Black Adam. Levi has played the DC Extended Universe wizard since his first solo movie last year. Shazam! was lighter than most of DC’s other live-action films, making it a departure for the comics franchise. A sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, is set to release in 2022. However, like most upcoming movies, it’s been impacted by the coronavirus. This spring, it was delayed from April 1, 2022 to November 4 of the same year. Filming on Shazam 2 was also pushed back, though Levi recently revealed there are plans to start early next year.

This could mean it’s filming around the same time as Black Adam, which will introduce Dwayne Johnson’s character to the DCEU. Though audiences haven’t met Johnson’s Black Adam yet, some have already turned their attention to a battle with Levi’s Shazam. In the comics, the two characters are enemies, which could mean an exciting cinematic showdown. For his part, Levi has said he’s hoping for “epic fights” between the two, though likely not until Shazam 3 or Black Adam 2. Though Levi made his DCEU debut before Johnson, the latter has been involved with the Black Adam movie for several years. This means DC already knew Johnson would play Black Adam before casting Levi.

Levi recently weighed in on this while appearing on Dan Fogler’s 4D Xperience podcast. The actor first explained the relationship between the two characters, saying, “Black Adam and Captain Marvel — my true namesake — they’re yin and yang to one another. They are identical.” However, Shazam and Black Adam being “basically doppelgängers” made Levi think he may not get the part:

I was like, ‘No one’s gonna hire me to be The Rock’s twin. I don’t think this is going to work out.’ Thank God I was wrong. Black Adam is from the Captain Marvel/Shazam part of the DC universe, so I hope [they meet]. I think that would be awesome to be able to go and do that.

Luckily, Levi has proven his casting was a stroke of genius. His performance in Shazam! was well-received and contributed to the movie getting a sequel. Levi makes a good point about the comics origin story for Black Adam and Shazam. However, the DCEU is good at offering interesting twists on the source material, which is likely what will happen when the two meet.

It also helps that moviegoers have already gotten to know Levi’s Shazam, which should make them forgive any major deviations from the comics. Plus, though Johnson and Levi may not look like twins, they both share a similar comedic sensibility that should make for a fun match up. Hopefully, a meeting between the two will happen sooner rather than later, though it may depend on the performances of Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.