Billy Batson and his family return to screens this month with Shazam! Fury of the Gods. This unlikely bunch of foster teens share the powers of the wizard Shazam as his champions splitting their time between school as children and saving the world as full-grown adult superheroes.

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Zachary Levi Pugh, who drops his surname for film credits, stars as central superhero Shazam in this sequel to the 2019 film of the same name. Zachary originally rose to fame through the long-running tv series Chuck, which began in 2007, before transitioning over to film roles.

10 'The Star' (2017)

The Star 2017
from IMDb

The Star is a re-imagining of the journey of Mary and Joseph on the fateful Christmas when Jesus was born but from the point of view of the animals that helped. This cute Christmas story focuses in on the donkey who carries Mary and causes a bit of mischief too.

Zachary lends his voice to the lead character Joesph, who does not get on with his fiancé's new donkey as he tries to get them all to his hometown of Bethlehem. This isn't his first foray into voice acting but its a great example.

9 'Spiral' (2007)

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Spiral is a thriller co-directed and co-written by the main actor Joel David Moore. Joel David Moore stars as a lonely telesales insurance worker who has dark thoughts, odd behaviors, and an obsession with jazz. His only friend is his boss, played by Zachary Levi, and a new co-worker who brings out another side in him.

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Spiral sees Zachary try a thriller whilst most of his films are more family-friendly. Although he doesn't play the central character, his grounding role is very important to the plot and often the most praised in the film.

8 'Shades of Ray' (2008)

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Shades of Ray, sees Zachary staring as a half-white/half-Pakistani American pursuing a career in acting, dealing with family issues, and trying to understand his own identity. After his parents split, and he finds his father on his doorstep his relationship with his could-be fiancé is put to the test as his father introduces him to another woman who is also half white/half Pakistani.

Shades of Ray is an independent film that was screened at film festivals but despite good responses never made it to the big screen. It was however a multi-faceted role for Zachary to explore, although some viewers were confused by his casting into the role.

7 'American Underdog' (2021)

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Image via Lionsgate

A biopic about American sports star Kurt Warner-an National Football League Quarterback who almost missed his shot but ended up playing in three Super Bowls. American Underdog is based on Kurt Warners own auto-biography and was a film Zachary enjoyed filming.

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Zachary stars as Warner in this heartwarming biopic which shows how your reactions to the bad things that happen in your life are what is important. Zachary was only able to take the role as filming for Shazam! Fury of the Gods was pushed back due to Covid.

6 'Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Adventure' (2022)

Apollo 10 1/2 Poster
from IMDb

This highly praised film explores a reality where a young boy dreams he will be the first man to step on the moon during the time of the first moon landing. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Adventure has a very specific artistic animation style which means that a lot of the cast is represented accurately on screen but in drawn form.

Audiences instantly recognize Zachary as Kranz, a NASA official, who trains the young boy in his imagination to become an astronaut. A lot of the film was animated after recording which is how they were able to capture the actors so well.

5 'Thor: The Dark World' (2013)

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Thor returns in Thor: The Dark World, as the name suggests, a darker Thor adventure. Dark elves, trapped in suspended animation are released when a convergence across the realms opens up random portals including on Earth. An important weapon finds itself in the wrong hands and a mighty battle ensues to retrieve it.

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Shazam! wasn't this actor's first superhero role, and he is one of the few to of been in both Marvel and DC Universes. The role of Fandral The Dashing, in Thor, was originally offered to Zachary Levi, but he couldn't take the role due to other commitments, so instead the role went to Josh Dallas. However, when it came time for the sequel Josh Dallas had clashing commitments, so Zachary Levi stepped into the role.

4 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017)

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Thor: Raganrok sees the return of Odin's daughter Hela and the potential end of the world. Her fighting ways and love of power do lead to a lot of destruction in Thor's home world of Asgard including the deaths of the Warriors Three, Thor's closest friends.

Unfortunately, Zachary Levi only has a small role in this film before sadly, and dramatically, dying. But at least this way audiences know he was unlikely to return (except for a small flashback in Thor: Love and Thunder) leaving him free to enter the DC universe instead.

3 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel' (2009)

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Alvin, Simon and Theodore are now teen pop stars causing havoc at both concerts and high school. When their adoptive father is injured it is up to the hapless cousin to look after them and keep them safe

Whilst it is not one of his highest-rated films Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel was one of Zachary Levi's break-out film roles and a major starring role for him, alongside 3 chipmunks of course. It's a great example of his acting ability even if the film falls slightly flat.

2 'Tangled' (2010)

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Tangled follows the classic fairy story of Rapunzel but with a magical twist. This musical princess film sees Rapunzel escape from her tower with the help of Flynn Rider to follow her dream of seeing the floating lanterns which just happen to be released annually on her birthday.

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Zachary Levi voices the role of Flynn Rider a wanted crook and criminal, with a dream of riches. Not only did he provide the voice for dialogue, but he also sang in the film and appears in the follow-on series. This role cements Zachary's place in film history as a Disney Prince.

1 'Shazam!' (2019)

Zachary Levi as Shazam 2019
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Shazam! sees a young teen looking for his mother chosen to be the champion of Shazam the wizard in the enteral fight against the 7 deadly films. This not only makes the young Billy Batson a superhero but also an adult, leading to all sorts of adventures for him and his new foster brother.

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This comedic superhero turn firms Zachary Levi's place in DC movie history, and whilst the rest of Universe is currently undergoing a shakeup, it seems likely that Shazam! will remain. Shazam! is popular with audiences as it has a much funnier side than other superhero films whilst still maintaining the thrill of the fight.

Next: From 'The Little Mermaid' to 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods': The 10 Most Anticapted Teen Movies of 2023