Zachary Levi Reveals the Part He Almost Played in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
Zachary Levi has long been a fan favorite in pop culture. Since earning acclaim as Chuck Bartowski in the TV series Chuck, the actor has lent his voice to hit animated movies such as Disney’s Tangled and signed on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe. Levi is arguably best known for playing the title role in the DC series Shazam! But the actor recently revealed how he nearly landed the part of Star-Lord in the beloved Marvel franchise Guardians of the Galaxy.
Zachary Levi plays Billy Batson/Shazam in the DC Extended Universe
By 2019, Zachary Levi had been a popular Hollywood actor for years. Still, the role of Billy Batson/Shazam helped redefine the direction of his career by introducing him to a whole new audience. The superhero film became an under-the-radar favorite. It tells the story of a teen chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam to be his new champion, allowing the kid to transform into an adult with superpowers.
The success of Shazam! eventually led to a sequel. Shazam! Fury of the Gods premiered in theaters nationwide this past March 17, delivering more star power and thrills. Levi reprises his role as Billy Batson/Shazam. He’s joined by stars such as Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Adam Brody, and Gal Gadot.
Zachary Levi revealed he almost played Star-Lord in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
Even though Levi is an excellent fit as Billy Batson/Shazam, he was nearly cast as one of the MCU’s biggest heroes. In a recent interview, Levi opened up about how DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who also masterminded the Guardians series, helped the actor land the Shazam! role.
“I’ve known [DC Studios co-CEO] Peter [Safran] now for years because he’s my producer on Shazam!, and I’ve known James Gunn for even more years,” Levi told Comicbook.com.
“We have mutual friends, and we’ve had game nights together in LA. I’ve been at a Christmas party of his and almost was Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. James stumped for me, fought for me when Peter asked him about me,” the actor continued. “‘Hey, what do you think of Zach because we’re thinking about him for Shazam!?’ James was like, ‘Yes, go get that guy — he could really go crush that.'”
As Guardians fans know, the Star-Lord role went to Chris Pratt.
What’s next for the ‘Shazam!’ series?
The behind-the-scenes shakeup at DC prompted fan speculation about whether Billy Batson would return for future films. Levi offered insight into the changes.
“It’s kind of a rolling reset, if you will,” he told Comicbook.com. “There’s a lot of things that were inherited that were already kind of well before Peter and James even got to the positions they’re in right now.”
The actor also noted he’s involved in discussions about the future of the Shazam! movies. “There were lots of conversations about what’s going to move forward and what’s not, and how do … the powers that be figure out how to chop this up and try to make it work moving forward?”
The studio has nothing concrete to announce for now. But fans who want to catch up on the latest can watch Shazam! Fury of the Gods in theaters now.
