Shazam!'s Zachary Levi defends changes made by DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran

Shazam! star Zachary Levi has defended the changes made by DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran.

There has been much overhaul since the pair became the co-CEOs of DC Studios in November, with Henry Cavill leaving his role as Superman and a planned third Wonder Woman film being scrapped.

Most recently, Dwayne Johnson revealed that a Black Adam sequel wasn’t part of Gunn and Safran’s first-phase plans, leaving the character’s future with Shazam up in the air.

Related: Wonder Woman 3 director Patty Jenkins denies she "walked away" from movie

Levi, however, has defended the studio bosses despite the uncertainty regarding his character and the Worlds of DC universe, posting a live video to his Instagram account on Thursday.

“Up to this point, there have been quite a few DC films that may have made some fans very happy, but they’re not tapping into the larger audience,” he said. “Marvel was very successful in doing that – bringing in as many people to the table, as many people that could be satiated and brought joy and all that stuff.

“If you’re out there, and you really liked what happened before, you can do that – that’s fine. But recognise there’s a lot of people that didn’t like those things, and we should always be trying to tap into as many audiences as possible, making as many people as happy as possible,” he continued.

Related: Shazam 2 is not doing reshoots, despite the rumours

“That’s what we’re in entertainment for, and I think that’s what Peter and James are really trying to do, and it’s not an easy position. They got handed all of these things that were already in a lot of conflict. So guys, just f**king give them a break. Take it easy. Take a breath,” he concluded.

The actor, who will next be seen in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, recently denied rumours that he would be replaced in the role following the upcoming film, which will also star Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods has a cinema release date of March 17, 2023.

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George Lewis

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.