Zachary Levi Talks 'American Underdog,' His Star-Lord Audition, 'Shazam 2' & More [The Fourth Wall #44]

If there are two things American moviegoers love most, the first is football, and the second is a good underdog story. This Christmas, the two are being combined for a touchdown reception on the big screen in the appropriately titled “American Underdog,” starring “Shazam!” himself, Zachary Levi, as Kurt Warner, the talented and dedicated quarterback who fought his way into the NFL in the ‘90s. Warner’s efforts paid off with a twelve-season career that included winning Super Bowl XXXIV, and being named MVP of both that game, and the season as a whole.

"Our journeys are multi-layered and dynamic, and one of the coolest things about Kurt's story is how he's been out in the wilderness,” said Levi, as he sat down to talk about the film and its parallels to his own rise as an actor. Born in Louisiana and having made his stage debut at the age of six, Levi first made a name for himself on the stage of the Ojai Art Center, with starring roles in productions of “Grease,” “Oklahoma!,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” to name but a sampling of his early work.

Levi became so accustomed to the sensibilities of the stage, that when he finally broke through to the screen in the mid-2000s, he had to make broad adjustments to his craft. “In theater, everything is way bigger, you're projecting and your diction needs to be clearer so people can understand what you're saying,” said Levi, whose breakthrough role came in 2007, when he was cast as the titular character in “Chuck,” going on to lead the spy-comedy series for five seasons. “Transitioning into film and television, you gotta learn how to chill that out. If you're giving a musical theater animated face, that doesn't work on camera. You have to learn how not to force it."

Between his time on stage and his rise on screen, however, Levi was no stranger to the financial realities of being a performer. In many ways, Levi’s work ethic and determination to always make ends meet, mirrors Warner’s rise to the NFL against various pitfalls, such as when he didn’t make the 1994 Green Bay Packers’ team, but continued to push for his dream, joining the Arena Football League and working at a supermarket in order to provide for himself.

Levi’s star launched permanently out of orbit, however, when he joined the DCEU as Shazam, a role he got through a chain of events that began when he auditioned to play Star-Lord in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” And, of course, I couldn’t let Levi go before asking about the sequel, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is currently slated for release in June of 2023, and what we can expect from it.

During our conversation with Levi, we also discuss the importance of kindness and humility in Hollywood, what impression the actor hopes he has left on people with his brand, and more!

"American Underdog" is now playing in theaters.