5 things to know about Zachary Levi and his new superhero film ‘Shazam!’
“Shazam!” star Zachary Levi is the newest big screen caped crusader to have discovered his powers and super strength.
Levi stopped by the ABC News studios this week to talk to Peter Travers about taking on the DC Universe superhero role.
Here are five things to know about Levi and his new film before you head out to see it this weekend.
1. Levi first stepped into his superhero costume just days after signing on for the role
Levi said it was a "pinch me" moment that he would never forget.
“The little kid in me who always dreamed about being a superhero and the actor who always dreamed about portraying one like this, all that was happening. Those dreams were coming true," Levi said. "But it was very humbling. The character has been around for 80 years. For 80 years people have been loving and believing in and supporting and purchasing these comic books and keeping the character alive and afloat. And so all of that is now sitting on me, that whole suit and the responsibility with that and wanting to honor the character and the lineage and the franchise and the fans.”
2. Shazam’s super cool lightning bolt is lit up with a simple pair of batteries
Levi may have one of the coolest looking superhero suits of all time. The body of the suit is bright red and paired with a lighting bolt that shines bright and generates electricity. But the technology used to make the bolt glow might surprise you.
“There’s a battery, a straight up battery. I need somebody to juice me up,” Levi joked.
3. Levi is one of the very few actors to appear in both the Marvel Universe and in the DC Universe
Levi first played the role of Fandral in Marvel’s "Thor" movies. But his character was ultimately killed off in "Thor: Ragnarok."
Download the all new "Popcorn With Peter Travers" podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tunein, Google Play Music and Stitcher.
4. Levi is the voice of a popular Disney movie and TV show character
If Levi’s voice sounds familiar, you’ve probably heard it in Disney’s “Tangled” movie. He stars opposite Mandy Moore (Rapunzel) as the voice of her love interest, Flynn Ryder. You can hear Levi in both the film and the TV series.
5. The rumors are technically true. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will join Levi on screen for one of the “Shazam!” films
“ [Dwayne Johnson] was attached to play Black Adam (the super villain) five years ago,” Levi, 38, told Travers. “Unfortunately trying to put two origin stories into the same film would have made it way too long. So yes, he is technically still attached to play Black Adam. And I would love for Shazam and Black Adam to have that ultimate fight.”
"Shazam!" hits theaters everywhere Friday!
Walt Disney Pictures is the parent company of "GMA" and ABC News.
Watch the full interview with Peter Travers and Zachary Levi in the video above.
