Zachary Levi Explains Why He Believes Shazam 2 Isn't Doing Great At The Box Office

Shazam movie star Zachary Levi has commented on the box office results for Shazam: Fury of the Gods, which had a slow start at the box office and is not expected to make as much money as the 2019 film. Responding to someone on Twitter, Levi said the marketing campaign for the Shazam sequel didn't attract the kind of family audience he thought it should have.

Not only that, but Levi said it is "sad but true" that fans of Batman v Superman director Zach Snyder wanted to see Shazam 2 come up short at the box office. However, Levi said he couldn't put a number on how much this might have affected the box office results for Fury of the Gods.

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

Fury of the Gods released on February 17 and earned $30.5 million in the US and Canada over its first weekend; this was more than 40% less than the $53.5 million that the original movie made in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

Deadline reported that the sequel sputtered at the box office because it wasn't part of a "connective tissue" of the DC universe. For what it's worth, Fury of the Gods was produced prior to James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over DC Studios. The pair of executives are trying to create a throughline with DC films going forward that connect them in a similar way to how MCU films operate.

Fury of the Gods brings back Levi and Asher Angel, alongside a trio of big-name additions, including Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler.

Levi recently discussed how life-saving therapy helped him land the lead role in Shazam. "When we do the real work to heal ourselves, and help other people heal themselves, that's where all the good stuff comes from. That's where that blessing landed in my life," he said.

In other news, Levi recently made headlines over his comments about COVID-19 vaccine-maker Pfizer, prompting a response from Gunn.