Zachary Levi Says Shazam 2 Might Begin Filming in Early 2021

Following the official announcement of the Shazam sequel’s official title during the DC FanDome, titular star Zachary Levi has now confirmed the potential production starting date for the highly-anticipated DC film. In a recent interview with Dan Fogler’s 4D Xperience, the 39-year-old actor revealed that the studio is planning to begin filming for Shazam! Fury of the Gods by the first quarter of next year.

“They announced that we were gonna do a sequel pretty much right after we premiered. They knew we were tracking well enough, they were happy enough with the numbers,” Levi said. “So they have been steadily and earnestly working on the script for the sequel and I think Q1 of next year is the idea.”

He also addressed the sequel’s need to avoid any major production delays in the future due to the kid actors’ inevitable growth spurts. “COVID has kind of made everything a little bit up in the air, but very much the intent is to make another one. We gotta get to it fast, the kids are growing fast.”

Levi also commented on the film’s new November 2022 release by admitting that the decision was a good thing for the sequel’s box office performance. “It was gonna be April 2022 and then they pushed [the date], partly because of COVID, I think. I’m actually quite grateful — I think a November release is a better calendar [spot]. Hopefully, we can kind of float and keep it going into the holidays. Aquaman had that right-before-Christmas release and [grossed] a billion-plus dollars.”

It was previously reported that screenwriter Henry Gayden had signed on to return to craft a sequel for the comedic superhero effort with director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) returning alongside producer Peter Safran and cast members Zachary Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Marta Milans, Asher Angel, Meagan Good, Faithe Herman, and Adam Brody.

In the first film, we all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).

The Shazam! cast includes Asher Angel (Andi Mack) as Billy Batson, Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy) as The Wizard, and Mark Strong (Kingsman) in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. The film also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (IT) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, part of the foster family that includes Mary, played by Grace Fulton (Annabelle: Creation); Darla, played by Faithe Herman (This is Us); Eugene, played by Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat); and Pedro, played by Jovan Armand (Hawaii Five-0). Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) and Marta Milans (Killer Women) play foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez.