Men of Steel: Superman Henry Cavill approves of Zachary Levi's superheroic transformation
As the titular hero in the upcoming DC Comics-derived blockbuster Shazam!, Zachary Levi will possess a wide array of godly powers, from the wisdom of Solomon to the speed of Mercury. We’ll have to wait until April 5, 2019, to see those powers in action, but thanks to a new Instagram photo, we can already tell that Levi has the strength (and body) of Hercules.
Enshrined as a geek icon thanks to his five-year stint on the NBC series Chuck, the 37-year-old actor snapped a shot that shows off his radically transformed zero-to-hero physique.
A post shared by Zachary Levi (@zacharylevi) on Apr 13, 2018 at 5:08am PDT
In the world of Shazam!, young Billy Batson (played in the film by Asher Angel) has only to utter his magic word — that would be Shazam — to attain this kind of bod. For Levi, it required a bit more work. “It’s like the old saying goes,” the actor cheekily writes in his Instagram post, outlining the exact recipe to his extreme makeover. “Hard work, over time, plus chicken & broccoli, minus carbs, divided by whey protein … equals results.” We can personally attest to his dedication to this formula. When Yahoo Entertainment spoke with Levi a few months ago, he was in the middle of chowing down on one of his Shazam! power snacks. “I gotta eat every two hours,” he told us apologetically at the time.
Eating during an interview is the price you have to pay when you’re getting in superhero shape, of course. And no one’s complaining considering the finished product. Levi’s Instagram post has been flooded with comments praising his new look, including one from his former Chuck co-star Ryan McPartlin, who played Chuck’s brother-in-law Devon, better known by his comic-book-ready nickname, Captain Awesome. “You’ve out-awesomed the captain!” McPartlin wrote admiringly on Instagram.
For a superhero-in-training, nobody’s approval matters more than Superman’s. And Levi’s Instagram post has also received the thumbs-up from none other than Henry Cavill, the current Man of Steel in the DC Extended Universe. “Looking fantastic Sir!!” Cavill raved in a comment, referring both to Levi’s biceps and his heroic “nowhere stare” — a stoic facial expression that’s an important component of any superhero’s utility belt. “Honestly, the nowhere stare has been the biggest challenge,” Shazam replied to Superman. “But 2-3 hours a day of ‘Nowhere Stare’ practice has really paid off.”
For their next Instagram exchange, maybe Levi could teach Cavill a thing or two about proper mustache care.
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