Actor Zachary Levi, renowned for his role in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” has taken a stance against the quality of content coming from Hollywood, encouraging viewers to make more thoughtful choices in their entertainment consumption. During his appearance at the Chicago Fan Expo, Levi, who portrayed the titular hero in the aforementioned film, voiced his concerns about the industry’s output.
In a report by Entertainment Weekly, Levi expressed his dissatisfaction with the quantity of subpar content being produced in Hollywood, suggesting that filmmakers don’t invest enough effort in crafting exceptional experiences for audiences. “I personally feel like the amount of content that comes out of Hollywood is garbage—they don’t care enough to actually make it great for you guys. They don’t,” he remarked.
Levi also drew attention to the discrepancy between the excitement generated by movie trailers and the often disappointing reality of the films themselves. He pointed out the all-too-common situation where trailers build anticipation with their enticing visuals, only for the final movie to fall short of expectations. Levi challenged moviegoers to take a stand by being more discerning in their choices, advocating for a shift away from supporting lackluster content.
Highlighting the industry’s awareness of this dynamic, Levi emphasized that once audiences have purchased tickets and are seated in theaters, studios have already secured their revenue. He encouraged individuals to actively avoid such films, suggesting that this collective action can lead to a positive change in the industry.
Levi’s comments come in the wake of the underperformance of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” at the box office, which garnered $57 million domestically. The actor has previously expressed his disagreement with critics’ reviews, citing their harshness and attributing the film’s higher audience score (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) as a more accurate reflection of its quality.
This incident is not the first time Levi has made headlines for his statements. Earlier in the year, he made remarks that garnered attention, including anti-Pfizer comments, leading to a response from DC Studios head James Gunn. Despite differences in opinions, Gunn maintained that disagreement does not preclude collaboration.