Fact Check: Did Zachary Levi Say 'Shazam' Is 'Far Better' Than 'John Wick'?

Actor Zachary Levi is being dragged online for apparently saying his movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods is better than John Wick: Chapter 4... but did he really say that?

Levi stars as the titular superhero in the sequel to Shazam!, part of the DC Comics extended universe movies. He has been trying to drum up interest in the movie—which has received mixed reviews from critics—with a collection of social media videos for fans.

During one of his Instagram lives, some fans were intrigued to hear Levi's thoughts on the Shazam! sequel versus other movies out in cinemas now, including Keanu Reeves' action film John Wick: Chapter 4.

The Claim

Zachary Levi first played the superhero Shazam in 2019's Shazam!, and four years later, he returns for Shazam! Fury of the Gods alongside the likes of Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Djimon Hounsou.

The sequel was released in theaters across America on Friday, March 17, and on Thursday, March 23, the 42-year-old actor started an Instagram Live video to talk about the movie. During his 13-minute live video, he tried to convince people to go and see it.

However, parts of the live video began to circulate online, as people saw clips shared across platforms that seemed to suggest Levi saying he thought his movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods was a "far better" movie than John Wick: Chapter 4, which was in theaters from March 24.

"Zachary Levi wants you to consider seeing Shazam 2 over John Wick 4" reads a caption across a video of Levi talking on his live video. Created by TikTok user @moviemaniacs, the video in question has been viewed over 922,000 times on TikTok and another 1.3 million times after it was shared on Twitter.

"I love Keanu Reeves. If you wanna go see John Wick [...] go for it. I'm not gonna tell you not to., but John Wick's not a family movie, so if you're looking for a movie for your family or your date or you just don't want to get into hardcore bap bap bap," Levi is seen saying in the video, at this point miming shooting a gun. "Go see Shazam! Fury of the Gods. We are a far better film. And those of you who's seen the movie know this."

The clip was commented on and shared thousands of times across social media.

The Facts

In the context as it's written above, it does sound like Levi is calling his movie a "far better" one than Reeves' but as evidenced within the video, and as pointed out by a number of others on social media, the video that went viral has been edited to rearrange Levi's words, and remove context.

The full 13-minute video posted by Levi is available to view on his Instagram grid. The moment he discusses his movie and John Wick: Chapter 4 is featured, making it clear he never calls Shazam! Fury of the Gods a "far better" movie.

After talking about John Wick 4 not being a family movie, Levi addressed the reactions to the second Shazam movie. "Is it a perfect film? No. I'm hard-pressed to think of perfect films. But we are a far better film than some of these critics, reviewers have given us credit for, and those of you who have seen the movie know this, and those of you who haven't seen the movie are in for a treat because it's gonna blow your mind."

Speaking up in Levi's defense, many people commented on the original video posted by @moviemaniacs on TikTok to suggest how misleading their edit was.

Many people also reposted the unedited clip of Levi on Twitter to try and stop people from being misled, as many social media users were criticizing the actor for what he was presented to have said in the original edited video.

The Ruling

False.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK