Shazam! Star Zachary Levi Is Proud Of The Movie’s Diversity
There are a lot of things that anyone involved in the production of Warner Bros’ Shazam! can signal as being proud of. With its deft mix of horror and comedic tones, as well as its continued revitalization of the DC Comics canon’s film branch, the movie has been well received by critics and fans alike, and one of the film’s stars, Zachary Levi, knows it as well as anyone!
But when it comes to what he’s particularly proud of in director David F. Sandberg’s comic caper, it’s the wide breadth of diversity that’s on display in the film. Zachary Levi explained his position in the following remarks during a recent interview:
At the heart of Shazam! is the story of the foster family, with its children of various ages coming from various ethnic backgrounds, and in the case of Jack Dylan Grazer’s Freddy Freeman, possessing a physical disability. Rather than showcasing a uniform example of diversity, the casting of the various family members was a truer portrait of diversity than most films get to show, and it’s clearly exciting for Zachary Levi to see that this is something that’s helped moviegoers identify with the film.
What’s even better is the fact that when you look at the marketing for Shazam!, it doesn’t oversell the idea of the family’s diversity as a marketing point. Which only makes the big spoilery reveal in the film’s third act all the more exciting, as the efforts that went into that particular scene’s production also required the same sort of diverse casting of characters, but on another level.
During his talk with Comicbook.com, Zachary Levi continued to praise the progressive portrayal of Billy Batson and his foster family in Shazam!, with his ultimate point being the following:
As Shazam! is looking to be fast tracked for a sequel in the near future, that message of acceptance, value and representation is likely to continue in the DCEU. Should that be the case, the comic franchise will only rise in personal value, as its efforts to reach out to a more diverse crowd of moviegoers will have been more than worth their inclusion the first time around.
Shazam! is currently in theaters, but if you’ve already seen it and would like to try out a new adventure at the movies, feel free to use our 2019 release schedule to help guide the way.
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Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.