The Suicide Squad director James Gunn is responsible for helping Zachary Levi land the lead role in the Shazam! movie.
Doing one of his Q & A’s on Instagram, The Suicide Squad director James Gunn was asked if it was true that Zachary Levi had originally auditioned for the role of Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. Confirming it to be true, James Gunn went on to write up how he found Zachary Levi to be a solid choice. James Gunn later referred Zachary Levi for the role of Shazam when the film’s producer asked the Suicide Squad director if he had any ideas as to who to cast.
James Gunn’s positive comments got the ball-rolling for Zachary Levi, who eventually got the role of Shazam. Floored by The Suicide Squad director’s comments and response to the question, Zachary Levi also posted on Instagram how grateful he was for what James Gunn had to say. Zachary Levi continued by saying how the role of Shazam changed his life, which is why he is indebted to the Suicide Squad director. The Shazam! actor also brought up how he would love to one day work with James Gunn on something. The Suicide Squad director replied back by saying that he would love to as well. You can check out the full interaction between James Gunn and Zachary Levi below.
This interaction between James Gunn and Zachary Levi is not only sweet but also gives us further insight into how Hollywood producers are casting their actors. The fact that a producer from DC asked James Gunn regarding who they should cast for Shazam! even before he was working on The Suicide Squad just goes to show how close-knit the Hollywood community is. Zachary Levi went against the likes of John Cena and Billy Magnussen and prevailed, with James Gunn giving him a little push.
What are your thoughts on The Suicide Squad director James Gunn looking out for Shazam! actor Zachary Levi? Let us know in the comments!
The first Suicide Squad followed a team of supervillains who were recruited by the government for a dangerous black ops mission in exchange for reduced sentences. The ensemble cast included Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as The Joker. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad is expected to deliver on the fresh take on the titular team.
Written and directed by James Gunn, The Suicide Squad stars David Dastmalchian, John Cena, Jai Courtney, Joaquín Cosío, Nathan Fillion, Joel Kinnaman, Mayling Ng, Flula Borg, Sean Gunn, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Pete Davidson, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Steve Agee, Tinashe Kajese, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, and Michael Rooker.
The Suicide Squad will be released in theaters on August 6, 2021. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding James Gunn, Zachary Levi and the future of the DC Extended Universe!
Source: James Gunn
