Zachary Levi is a successful actor who plays Shazam! in the DCU, as well as appearing as the lead in Chuck. Lately, he has made headlines for a Tweet that has led to many people asking for him to be replaced in the superhero franchise.Over the years the actor has waded into debates and Tweeted things he maybe shouldn't have, earning criticism. This latest controversy looks to overshadow the release of the long-awaited sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, will be released in March. His online behavior is only adding to the problems DC are having and the controversies their actors are causing.When asked if this Tweet affects his role within the DC universe of movies, DC Studios co-CEO and co-chair James Gunn explained, "Actors, filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with, and things that I don’t agree with.""I can’t be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don’t agree with," Gunn added.This isn't the first time the actor has ruffled feathers, he has quite a problematic past. Here are some of Zachary Levi's most controversial moments.
8 What Shazam's Zachary Levi Said About The Covid-19 Vaccine
Recently, Zachary Levi said he was in “hardcore” agreement that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Pfizer “is a real danger to the world.” The tweet was interpreted by many as the actor taking an anti-vaccine stance.
Levi retweeted Lyndon Wood, an infamous British anti-vaxxer who, in his Twitter bio, proudly admits he's been accused of anti-transgender views.
Levi followed up his tweet by sharing a link to a Justice.gov press release explaining that Pfizer is paying $2.3 billion as part of a fraud settlement back in 2009. “Just one example of what I’m referring to…” he tweeted alongside the link.
Earlier this month, the Chuck actor posted a clip of his appearance on the Shawn Stevenson podcast The Model Health Show in which he talks negatively against American pharmaceutical companies’ advertisements.“We are carte blanche, ‘Do whatever you want, do the imagery of a guy and a girl on a date having a... throw that football through that tire, be in that tub, whatever it is, you know, and barely talk about the side effects,’” he says in the clip.
7 What Shazam! Actor, Zachary Levi Says About Trump Supporters
Back in 2020, Zachary Levi appeared to empathize with Trump voters on social media. A common comment was 'Read the room'.
Days after Joe Biden’s presidential victory, Levi wrote on Instagram, “My hope and prayer is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris answer that very call, in the same way I hoped and prayed that Donald Trump would do the same.”
In a tweet the same day, he said, “I am no fan or supporter of Trump, and I find his behavior to be vulgar, callous, narcissistic, and lacking empathy. And while I’m not a Conservative, I know many who backed 45 not because they liked him, but because he was the only candidate they felt cared about their needs.”
6 Zachary Levi Is A Fan Of Joe Rogan And Jordan Peterson
The actor has also appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and expressed his admiration for Jordan Peterson, the controversial right-wing, self-help guru.
Tangled actor Zachary Levi called Peterson “one of the deepest thinkers I’ve ever heard break down, like, human behavior.” This episode was aired soon as Peterson was suspended from Twitter for making anti-transgender comments about Elliot Page. Levi noticeably does not correct Rogan after the host deadnames Page.
5 What Shazam's Zachary Levi Blames Women For
In an interview with Maxim in 2016, Zachary Levi was asked about first dates, and it turns out he isn't a fan.
"It’s so fascinating, girls say chivalry is dead. And it’s like if it’s dead, you f****** killed it. Because it used to be a guy could be a guy and a girl wouldn’t be offended if he got the door or something, and now it’s like 'I can get the door for myself, I’m a strong woman,' and then it’s like 'F***! I don’t know anymore.' First, know the type of girl you’re going on a date with, and if she’s into chivalry, that’s great, and if she’s not, then she’s not."
Women were pretty angry at this quote, with many calling out his passive aggression.
4 Zachary Levi's Thoughts On Racism And Sexism
In 2018, Zachary Levi was chastised for a tweet about white men leading conversations about racism and sexism.
A fan of the actor took to Twitter with their thoughts about comments Levi made on a livestream, “I’ve been thinking a lot about something Zach said in one of his Instagram lives lately,” user Stories With Web wrote. “Imagine a person saying something and then a group of people crowding them telling them why they are wrong or out of line. That terrifies me to think of, so why would people think online is any different?”
It then started a debate between Levi and fans about his online behavior.
“Saying that men can’t lead meaningful conversations about sexism, and that white people can’t lead meaningful conversations about racism, is both sexist and racist,” he said.
“Truth doesn’t care about privilege, nor do those who seek it," he adds. The Thor actor did apologize and clarify his comments.
3 What Shazam's Zachary Levi Said About The Johnny Deep Vs Amber Heard Trial
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, Zachary Levi and host Joe Rogan started talking about that infamous defamation trial between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard.
Levi stated that he didn’t know how he felt about the trial being so public and wished the "drama" didn't get so much advertising. The two then make statements about people getting paid to advertise and react to the trial online.
"I dunno man, I feel like it’s making us less empathetic ultimately. We all get to look at these people literally like you’re saying, they’re having a marital dispute. We’re all getting brought in on their s***. Their traumas, all that stuff. And everyone just gets to sit around eating popcorn and judging the entire fiasco because it’s entertainment, now?" he told Rogan.
Even though Levi called out the trial for being a circus and an “entertainment fiasco”, he also posted an anti-Amber Heard Tweet on his Instagram stories. Some people were angry he was giving the trial more press despite complaining about the press coverages, whilst others felt joking about Heard to be distasteful.
2 Zachary Levi Was On CBN
Levi, who identifies as a Christian, gave an interview last year to CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network). This network was founded by The 700 Club Pat Robertson, who has a history of sexist and homophobic comments.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel appeared on the network to promote his book Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others, while opening up about his struggles with depression.
Many people are unaware of this and believe he is Jewish. His middle is Levi and his surname is Pugh. He did describe himself as "an honorary member of the tribe," to GQ magazine.
1 Is Zachary Levi Going To Lose His Job?
Zachary Levi has been facing backlash on social media ever since he posted an anti-Pfizer tweet, which people asking for him to be fired or refusing to see his upcoming movies.
James Gunn, the new co-head of DC Studios, was asked to weigh in on Levi during a press event the data after his Tweets were sent.
“Just real simply: Actors and filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with and things that I don’t agree with,” Gunn said. “And that’s going to happen. I don’t have a list of things that somebody should say because of what I think. And you know, I can’t be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don’t agree with.”
“By the same token, if somebody’s doing something morally reprehensible then that’s a different story,” Gunn added. “We have to take all that stuff into account. It’s a balance. It’s modern world and it’s a different place.”
Gunn, of course, is no stranger to controversy himself. He was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for jokes he made on social media years earlier. He was eventually rehired after DC snagged him to make their Suicide Squad sequel.
It's not just Levi's controversy he has to deal with. The Flash star Ezra Miller recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unlawful trespass and is receiving mental health treatment “I will say here that Flash is probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made,” Gunn said.
“Ezra is completely committed to their recovery, and we are fully supportive of that journey that they’re on right now. When the time is right, when they feel like they’re ready to have the discussion, we’ll all figure out what the best path forward is. But right now they are completely focused on their recovery. And in our conversations with them over the last couple of months, it feels like they’re making enormous progress," DC head, Peter Safran claimed.