Zachary Levi, the lead actor in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” has spoken out about the film’s underwhelming box office performance.
The sequel to the popular 2019 movie “Shazam!” earned only $31 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, a significant drop from the original’s $53 million debut. With a production budget of over $110 million and an additional $100 million spent on marketing, the film’s performance was considered a major disappointment.
Zachary Levi Says Zack Snyder Fans prayed for Shazam 2 Downfall
However, despite the low box office numbers, Levi did not blame the film’s poor response on Zack Snyder fans. However, he acknowledged that some Snyder fans may have wished for the movie to fail as revenge against Warner Bros. for dropping Snyder’s DC Universe.
On Twitter, a fan wrote to Levi that many Snyder fans were happy about the failure of “Fury of the Gods” and wished that future films would also fail.
Levi agreed with the fan’s sentiment but also pointed out that marketing played a significant role in the film’s poor showing. He expressed his disappointment that more families were unaware of the movie, despite it being a perfect family movie.
The Critics also didn’t like Shazam! Fury of the Gods
“Fury of the Gods” did not fare well with critics either, with the sequel currently holding a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Director David F. Sandberg expressed his disappointment on Twitter, stating that although he wasn’t expecting the same critical acclaim as the first film, he still believed it was a good movie. Sandberg also expressed his eagerness to move on from superhero films and return to directing horror movies.
Despite the negative reviews, Rachel Zegler, who played Athena in the film, defended “Fury of the Gods” on Twitter, encouraging viewers to give the movie a chance. Zegler acknowledged the film’s 85% audience score and urged viewers to ignore the senselessly evil critics. She also expressed her love for the film and the people she worked with on it. While acknowledging that there will always be haters, she implored viewers to see the film and judge for themselves.
Dwayne Johnson’s ego also led to DC’s downfall
In response to recent reports that Dwayne Johnson, who played Black Adam in Shazam! Fury of the Gods had vetoed a crossover in the film’s post-credits scene; star Zachary Levi spoke out on this matter.
It had previously been reported that Johnson was unwilling to have his character appear alongside Shazam and that his negative feelings toward the character may have influenced the decision.
Levi posted a story on Instagram with the caption “The truth shall set you free,” overlaying a caption from The Wrap’s article. Due to their close ties in the source material, fans of DC Comics had been eagerly anticipating a crossover between the two heroes.
