To be a part of the Marvel or DCEU is still the dream of many actors. Zachary Levi is one of those rare actors who have worked in both of these mega franchises. The actor is popularly known for starring in DC’s blockbuster film Shazam as the lead protagonist and made his Marvel debut with Thor: The Dark World.
When the actor was first hired by the filmmakers for Thor, he was nervous about being a part of the film, as he thought the rest of the cast members of the film wouldn’t accept him.
What made Zachary Levi feel unwelcome on the set of Thor: The Dark World.?
Before featuring in Shazam, Zachary Levi was recruited to play the Marvel comic character Fandral in the Thor films. Fandral was a part of a group of Asgardian warriors called The Warriors Three. Levi was the first choice of the filmmakers for the role of Fandral, but since Levi was already occupied filming the TV series Chuck, he couldn’t commit to the Marvel project. Hence, the role ultimately went to Josh Dallas.
However, when the second installment of the film was in the making, Dallas couldn’t reprise his role as Fandral due to scheduling conflicts. Fortunately, this time Levi wasn’t occupied with any work, so he could take up the role. Levi finally portrayed the character of Fandral for the remaining portion of the character’s run-in the MCU.
Everything seemed hunky-dory, yet Levi wasn’t confident about being a part of the film. The actor thought that since he had replaced Dallas, the original cast members of Thor: The Dark World might hold slight grudges against him. During an interview, the actor said,
“I was nervous about coming in and having any ill-will if there was going to be any from any of the rest of the cast, knowing that Josh had played Fandral in the first film.”
The actor further shared that some of the cast members of the film were unaware of his arrival on the team. However, his awkwardness on the set soon vanished when he had a warm encounter with Tom Hiddleston. The actor who played Loki comforted Levi with a warm hug. The actor recalled,
“And then one of the first days on set, Tom gave me a big hug and said, ‘Welcome, glad you were finally able to come and do this.’ I felt that love from everybody, so no, I wasn’t nervous beyond that.”
Although Levi made it to the MCU film, he wasn’t content with his role in the film.
Zachary Levi wasn’t content with his role in the MCU franchise
Actor Zachary Levi is a big Marvel fan and has been following the Marvel comics since his childhood. Being well-versed in Marvel mythology, the actor truly understands each MCU character vividly. When Levi saw the Thor film for the first time, he said that he wasn’t thrilled with the portrayal of Fandral and the Warriors Three in the film. When Levi’s turn came to portray Fandral’s character, he made sure that the Warriors Three would be handled better.
The Marvel studios assured Levi that his character, along with the rest of the Warriors Three, would have more screen time in the Thor sequel. However, no such thing occurred; instead, the Asgardian soldiers were given even less screen time in the sequels. Looking at Levi’s enthusiasm to work in the MCU, he would have enjoyed having a more substantial role. During an interview, the actor said,
“I got to be in the Marvel Universe and play a really kind of fun, interesting, different kind of character.”
Later, the actor also auditioned for the Guardians of the Galaxy; however, the actor didn’t end up getting the role.
Source: The Suburban Mom
