Actor Zachary Levi, who is soon going to make his superhero debut in Warner Bros. and DC Films’ Shazam!, also has a Marvel connection. He played the Asgardian warrior Fandral, one of Thor’s classic ‘Warriors Three,’ in both Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. The character was later killed off in Thor: Ragnarok.
During a set interview with Screen Rant, Levi said his Marvel character deserved better than what he got.
“When I got cast as Fandral in the first one, though I wasn’t able to do it, I knew that the Warriors Three could be really fun characters if they ever developed them but they just didn’t,” Levi said. “They didn’t in the first one, they didn’t really in The Dark World. It’s not to say that there wasn’t some moments that were shot that weren’t used ultimately in the movie.”
Levi, however, feels that Fandral’s on-screen death in Ragnarok was almost like a blessing in disguise. He said if his character hadn’t been killed off then, he would have probably made it to Avengers: Infinity War, but, that too only for a brief stance before getting killed from Thanos snap may be.
“Even when I got killed, there was more to that scene,” said Levi. “Granted, maybe 30 seconds more of a line here, a line there. Kill, kill, you’re dead. I knew Fandral could be fodder, would be fodder. I don’t know… unless Marvel really wanted to be like, ‘We want every single character we’ve ever seen, particularly demi-gods, to be able to be a part of Avengers.’ But then the truth is, to be honest… If let’s say Fandral was still alive, and let’s say they tapped me to be in Avengers [Infinity War], I’d probably be sitting in Atlanta for three months doing almost nothing. And then they’d be, ‘Okay now we’re ready for you, you guys go in,’ And then we’d get killed then.”
The Shazam! actor said while he would have loved playing Fandral if Marvel ever expanded the role, the character’s death led to a big jump in his career as he got a golden chance of playing the role of Billy Batson’s alter ego, Shazam.
“Yeah, it would’ve been cool that Fandral got more to do. Dude, what a fun character,” Levi said. “Errol Flynn, Viking, space god, ladies man. Come on. That’s all fun. So yeah that was a little bit of a bummer b– ut looking back, if I didn’t die, I might still be under contract with Marvel and I never would’ve been able to get this job. And I say f–k that. This is the coolest thing ever, I’m so happy that I got to do it. And being able to like literally just jumpstart my life and I’m healthier and stronger and happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! focuses on the story of a teenage orphan Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who is bestowed godly powers by an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou) that turns him into a superhero on saying the magical word Shazam. The film also stars Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick Freeman, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez and Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez.
Shazam! is set to arrive in theatres on April 5, 2019.
