On the surface, there are virtually no similarities whatsoever between Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Zachary Levi’s Shazam, besides the fact they’re both costumed comic book crimefighters with a penchant for red.
Dig a little deeper, though, and… nope, we’re still not finding anything tangible. And yet, in an interview to drum up the buzz surrounding his upcoming sequel Fury of the Gods, Levi put it to SFX magazine that the two are plenty alike, even if he ended up trampling all over his own sentiment by immediately admitting that the contexts are pretty much polar opposites.
“I love that we get to be the most subversive of all the DC characters, almost like the Deadpool of DC. Deadpool gets to sit outside of it and comment on it all and have fun with it all – obviously in a more R-rated, mature way. We do the same thing, just a little more family-friendly!”
Shazam! and its sequel aren’t exactly breaking the fourth wall, unless you want to count the reference being made to the Fast & Furious franchise in a movie starring longtime stalwart of the high-octane saga Helen Mirren, but even then, saying Shazam is like Deadpool except for the PG-13 rating, lack of foul language, and absence of self-aware and canon-breaking observations feels like a bit of a stretch.
On the plus side, we’ll find out if Fury of the Gods is keeping something hidden that puts it more in line with the Merc with a Mouth in less than a month, when the DCU’s first theatrical release of the James Gunn and Peter Safran era comes to theaters.