Rumour has it that none of the DCEU actors will reprise their roles in James Gunn and Peter Safran's DCU, hence why we've recently bid farewell to both Henry Cavill's Superman and Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam (the latter suggested he could return down the line, but we're not banking on it).
As we head into 2023, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are all on the way. However, should we care if those actors and characters will all soon be gone? After all, there are already rumblings that Jason Momoa is gearing up to swap his role as Arthur Curry for Lobo!
Only time will tell how things eventually pan out, but Shazam! star Zachary Levi spoke out in defence of DC Studios during a recent Instagram Live.
"The amount of conjecture and rumor mill and drama and nonsense that keeps getting spun around out there on Instagram and Twitter is laughable," he says in the video below. "So I would just say be patient, and give them some space and some time to try and really make something special. And I think something that DC deserves to have, and something that [Zack] Snyder tried to do and it just didn’t ultimately materialize, guys."
Levi added that Gunn and Safran are "not just making decisions because they like someone or don’t like someone. They’re making decisions based on what is best for Warner Bros., DC, that entire studio and entity and trying to make as many fans, as much of an audience, happy as they can."
After acknowledging that many fans are unhappy about the changes being made to the DCEU DCU, Levi pointed out that DC Studios is likely prioritising bringing this franchise to the largest audience possible.
"It's not an easy position, they got handed all these things that were already in a lot of conflict. So guys, just f***ing give ’em a break," he said. "Take it easy. Take a breath. It’s the holidays, for God’s sake. Just go enjoy what the holidays are, give them some time to enjoy the holidays, and let’s see what happens on the other side of this."
We've heard conflicting information about whether Levi has a future as Shazam in the DCU, and despite recently responding by saying "we all Gucci" on social media, he chooses his words a little more carefully here.
"Listen, I have no idea what ultimately is going to happen to me. I think I’m in a pretty good position, I think we made a great movie, I think it’s going to do well - reasonably well, I hope so," he admits. "But again, regardless of that, if they decide at some point that this is the way we gotta go - them’s the breaks, that’s how it goes."
You can listen to Levi's comments in full below, but we certainly hope there's a place for him in the DCU. Safran produces the Shazam! franchise, though if the upcoming sequel underperforms, that could force him to make another tough decision.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to be released on March 17, 2023.