Zachary Levi: Original post-credits plan for 'Shazam 2' was 'thwarted' (2024)

• Movies

Who's responsible for the post-credits kerfuffle that reportedly unfolded on Shazam! Fury of the Gods? In the wake of the DC superhero film's disappointing box office performance, it remains a hotly debated question.

Last week, The Wrap reported that Dwayne Johnson interfered with the sequel by preventing the filmmakers from using Black Adam characters in its post-credits sequence — even though Black Adam and Shazam originated in the same series of comics. Earlier this week, Shazam! star Zachary Levi seemed to verify that account by sharing The Wrap's article on his Instagram story with the caption, "The truth will set you free."

In a new video posted to his Instagram, Levi addressed the controversy.

"I may or may not have, you know, reposted something in my stories about a story that I had nothing to do with, that [The Wrap] had reported on. And then I got flak about it, because people were saying, 'What are you doing? You're trying to blame this guy because your movie's not doing well,'" he explained, seemingly referencing Johnson.

He continued, "Listen, I haven't blamed anybody. There's not one single person that I have blamed for anything about the way that our movie has performed."

He went on to clarify the situation somewhat by saying that the original plan to include Black Adam characters Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) in the film's post-credits sequence was "thwarted." By who? He wouldn't say.

So, in lieu of Hawkman and Cyclone, the Shazam! post-credits scene finds Peacemaker and The Suicide Squad characters Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee) recruiting Levi's character to the Justice Society.

"People are slagging on James Gunn because... we used Jennifer and Steve in that scene in Shazam!," Levi continued. "That was not the original intent. The original intent was to have Hawkeye and Cyclone be there inviting me into the Justice Society. Walter Hamada, Peter Safran, David Sandberg… We had an awesome scene and we were thwarted… I'm merely coming to the defense of the truth. Truth is good. We should all live it."

Levi also said that fans of Zack Snyder's darker take on DC films should lighten up about the different tone of the Shazam! movies.

"Let me remind you where comics and Captain Marvel/Shazam started... these were comics geared toward younger people and the fun and the silliness and the goofiness," he said. "It's a real shame if comic book movies have gotten to a place where they have to be nothing but serious and nothing but intense and nothing but dark. That's a sad day. I don't know what else to say about that."

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Related content:

• The Shazam! Fury of the Gods post-credits scenes, explained
• Zachary Levi addresses disappointing Shazam 2 box office, says marketing is the 'biggest issue'
• Shazam director David F. Sandberg says he's 'done with superheroes for now'