There are a lot of superheroes in the DC comics, and as the DCEU builds up its catalog of characters, we are slowly meeting many of them, including Shazam. But which superhero is the best?
Zachary Levi was born to play a superhero. And there is not a single comic book hero more suited to the star than Shazam. His excitement and enthusiasm over the role and the movie itself is contagious. As a member of the DCEU, this means that he is also in a league with characters such as Aquaman, Batman, and of course Superman.
However, if you ask Levi about his hero’s powers, you might learn a few interesting things, including the fact that he believes that Shazam could beat Superman in a head-to-head fight, according to SYFY Wire.
What makes Zachary Levi’s belief that his hero could win over Superman so interesting is the actual history of the character. Shazam (or Captain Marvel as he was known at the time) was created as an answer to Superman. He was always going to be a young boy who would need to say the magic word, Shazam, in order to become an adult superhero with a number of incredible powers. But at the same time, he was the early answer to the Superman comics.
Even at the time of his creation, this was a hero who was meant to be able to go toe-to-toe with Superman. And don’t get me wrong, I love Superman and think he is immensely powerful, but we have seen him lose before. DCEU movies may not necessarily be canon, but even in the comics, Superman has been defeated.
Plus, even if Superman had never suffered the agony of defeat both in the comics and in the movies, Shazam has always been able to stand next to the golden age of heroes and showcase powers that rivaled even the greatest of superheroes. Unfortunately, it is due to issues with his original name, and likely other setbacks as well, that he was relegated to virtual obscurity until recently.
And with Zachary Levi at the helm, Shazam is a superhero with more than just the power to take down someone like Superman. He also has the heart.
Superman isn’t the only hero that Levi thinks Shazam could take on and win, as he even pointed out that he could go up against Aquaman and win hands down. (Levi did point out that in real life if Jason Momoa, who plays Aquaman, were to take him on, then Momoa would definitely be the winner.)
Basically, there was never a chance that Levi was going to bet against himself as he is Shazam. But as fans of both characters, even I think he could beat Superman. Not only does he seem to have many more powers, but he also has no problem having fun with those powers and learning about what he can do. And that is something we never really see Superman doing.
Perhaps it is the fearlessness of being a child at heart, but Shazam is the kind of superhero that will utilize every power or tool at his disposal in order to win. And while we may never see these two heroes go head-to-head in a fight, I think there is a strong chance that Zachary Levi is correct and Superman would lose in a fair fight.
Who do you think would win, Shazam or Superman? Tell us what you think in the comments. And remember, Shazam premieres in theaters on April 5.