Zachary Levi blames Warner Bros for Shazam 2 box office failure

Shazam 2 actor Zachary Levi recently gave his reaction to the lukewarm box office collections of his 2019’s Shazam! sequel. The DC Universe actor took to social media and indirectly blamed Warner Bros for their lack of focus on the film’s marketing. He also spoke about how the film wasn’t even marketed as it was supposed to be. The film was projected to score $85 million in its opening week, though ended up with a collection of $65.5 million against a $125 million budget.

Zachary Levi responded to a tweet from a fan on Twitter. While the fan pointed out that many Zack Snyder fans are happy with the film’s poor reception because the current DC Universe films do not assimilate his storytelling and vision, he added that there are bigger issues at hand. He said that it’s not clear how that exact angle affects the film’s box office reception, and instead blamed the film’s marketing to be the main issue. 

The DC Universe actor said that marketing is the key issue where the movie’s performance is greatly affected. Levi added that Shazam 2 is perfect for families, though it went fully unnoticed as the marketing for the film didn’t factor that in. He concluded by saying that it’s “just a shame”. 

This is also true. Sad, but true. How much that actually affects the box office is anyone’s guess. But I think the biggest issue we’re having is marketing. This is a perfect family movie, and yet a lot of families aren’t aware of that. Which is just a shame. 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/Fpw6Ja384F

— Zachary Levi (@ZacharyLevi) March 21, 2023

The fate of Shazam in DCU 

It appears to be unclear whether Zachary Levi's Shazam will find a future in the DCU any time soon. After James Gunn announced the new DC slate back on January 31, Shazam was mentioned nowhere. With plans for the first chapter Gods and Monsters being out, Shazam might find a place in the DCU in the later programming schedule. 

James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the DC Studios back in December 2022. Gunn made headlines after revealing that he will be directing and writing Superman: Legacy, which is scheduled for a release on July 11, 2025. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director also said that the film will focus on a younger version of Superman, and the casting for the superhero role is yet to be announced.