Zachary Levi Is Not Here for Toxic Fans Pitting Shazam! Against Captain Marvel

If you’re are a lady who has expressed opinions about Captain Marvel on the internet, chances are you’ve been trolled by some neckbeard angry about girls ruining his comic book movies. The troll army was quick to do everything they could to tear down the film and harass fans, including bombing the audience interest section on Rotten Tomatoes and making complaint videos on YouTube, so much so that both platforms implemented changes to their policies to prevent the toxic response.

A curious subset of trolls cropped up, who declared that, in defiance of Captain Marvel, the would be taking their dollars elsewhere: mainly to Alita: Battle Angel and Shazam!. Which is … totally okay. No one is holding you at gunpoint and forcing you to watch Captain Marvel. Besides, she’s doing plenty fine on her own. The film has already cleared $760 million worldwide and is quickly on its way to the billion dollar mark (so much for that boycott).

Another person not stressed about the success of Captain Marvel is Shazam himself, Zachary Levi. In an interview with the Associated Press, Levi said the following:

Levi said, “And I’m not affiliated … I’ve known Brie over the years and I think she’s delightful and talented. And, by the way, she doesn’t need anybody sticking up for her, it was me trying to talk to people that thought they were doing me a favor. They were like, ‘We’re not gonna go see [Captain Marvel], we’re gonna go see Shazam!.’ I was like, you can just say you wanna come see Shazam!. You don’t have to go and speak ill of somebody else in order to raise me or this movie up. That’s not okay. Yeah, so, I just felt like I had an opportunity to speak truth.”

Several MCU actors have spoken out in support of Larson and the film, and it would be nice if more of DC’s big screen superheroes lent their support as well. Not that she or the film needs it, but it would be a lovely show of solidarity for fans everywhere. After all, they may be different studios, but both service the same fan base.

Levi has also posted on Twitter in support of both films:

Many so-called fans latched onto Shazam! as the anti-Captain Marvel because both characters share the same name in the comics. When asked about it, Levi promised the film would address the name issue saying, “Honestly, you’ll have to wait until April 5, 2019 to find out the answer to that question, my friend. I don’t know what to tell you. There’s fun that’s had.”

Given that Shazam! is a family-friendly comedy, that explanation will likely be a meta-joke of some kind. We’re excited to see Shazam!, which has all the makings of a charming fun film. Will you be seeing Shazam! when it hits theaters next month?

(via CBR, image: Warner Bros.)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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