Zachary Levi

HAS THE MAGIC TOUCH…

Ijust want to keep making cool shit that people enjoy,” mused Zachary Levi in 2016. A year on and he’s doing exactly that, having just nabbed the lead in DC’s Shazam!, arguably one of the coolest comic-book roles going. “Honoured and greatly humbled to be a part of the #dcuniverse,” he wrote online after the big reveal. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in the gym for the rest of forever.”

If Levi’s proved anything in the years since his big break in 2002 sitcom Less Than Perfect, it’s that he’s a dedicated sort – particularly when it comes to fandom. A self-confessed geek, he’s co-hosted Nerd HQ at Comic-Con alongside the likes of Joss Whedon and Nathan Fillion, starred in gadget-tastic TV show Chuck, played the second Fandral in the Thor films, and even voiced a Disney prince in

Tangled (he’s reprised the role for the upcoming animated series).

“I am beside myself with gratitude,” he said of landing the role of Shazam, a kid who becomes the titular superhero with a little help from a yet-be-cast wizard. “Not only for this opportunity, but also the incredible outpouring of love and support from so many of you out there in the world.” He’ll be directed by David F. Sandberg, the Swedish brains behind Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, while Mark Strong is in line to play the villainous Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

And Levi’s sticking to genre fare for the foreseeable future. He’s starring in zombie comedy Office Uprising, and comedy horror Blood Fest, and there are still rumblings of Chuck – which aired from 2007 to 2012 – going cinematic. “I’ve been on the record saying I have every desire and intention to make a Chuck movie,” he’s said. “I’ve just got to wait on the right time for it.” If ever there was a time, now’s it…

ETA | 5 APRIL 2019 / SHAZAM! OPENS IN TWO YEARS. OFFICE UPRISING OPENS IN 2018.