20 stunning Christmas movies starring your favorite Marvel actors
By Reed Gaudens
13. Zachary Levi in Shazam!
Release Year: 2019
Directed By: David F. Sandberg
Starring: Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews
You probably know Zachary Levi as the titular bumbling super-spy from the underrated NBC series Chuck or Flynn Rider from Disney’s animated blockbuster Tangled. But Marvel fans known the multi-talented actor as Fandral in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
Outside of the MCU, Levi has led a superhero film for the DC Extended Universe that just so happens to be recognized as a Christmas film by its fans in the same vein as Die Hard. In the perfect intersection of superhero action and holiday cheer, Shazam! covers all the bases you could ever want.
Based on the DC Comics about the character of the same name, Zachary Levi stars in Shazam! as Shazam, the adult superhero alter ego of teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel). When 14-year-old shouts out the word “shazam,” he suddenly transforms into an adult and superhero, while also retaining his childlike enthusiasm and wonder.
The film earned critical acclaim and was a box office success, paving the way for Shazam’s return in the summer 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. If you’re tired of the traditional Christmas movies, a Marvel star in a DC flick will do the trick.