Zachary Levi Says 'Captain Marvel' Trolls Should Stop & Aren't Doing 'Shazam' Any Favors

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Desperate toxic fandom is getting out of control. Whether its fragile 4chan incels, MAGA misogynists, MRA groups triggered by Brie Larson’s recent pro-inclusivity comments on the “Captain Marvel” promotional trailer, or the darker side of DCEU fandom that has shown its problematic colors in the past, a particular subset of the internet has it out for the female-led Marvel film. Basement cretins have been reviewing bombing the movie on Rotten Tomatoes, making it appear as if no one is anticipating the film (any reviews written now would be fake; no one has seen it outside of critics, and those pieces are currently embargoed).

There are groups simple triggered by Larson (even some white male film critics), but there are also tons of techniques employed to disrupt the film. One narrative is “Captain Marvel” versus DC Film’s “Shazam!” starring Zachary Levi because the DC property was initially named Captain Marvel in the 1940s and’50s, but the comic book eventually lost the title, let the rights lapse and Marvel claimed them in the 1960s for their character (you can read more about that story here).

READ MORE: Trolls Try To Take Down ‘Captain Marvel’ on Rotten Tomatoes

So, long(er) story short, either some disgruntled DC fans are genuinely still upset about the title debacle (that, let’s face it, was dealt with decades ago) or the “Captain Marvel” trolls are leveraging a perceived schism as a way to spread disinformation and create a wedge between the two fan camps.

READ MORE: Brie Larson Continues To Use Her Platform On The Captain Marvel Press Tour; Kevin Feige Say More Marvel Heroines To Come

MCU Cosmic has noticed that some trolls are posting fake spoilers of “Captain Marvel” to turn off fans and deter people from seeing it, encouraging them to see “Shazam!” instead (captured in my tweet below, these spoilers are easy to confirm as false through fellow journos). Whether or not these are DCEU fans remains to be seen, but regardless, the “Shazam!” filmmakers want nothing to do with it, have disavowed any anti-“Captain Marvel” campaigns and in solidarity with their superhero films compatriots are asking fans to cut it out.

First, it was “Shazam!” director David F. Sanberg who wrote on Twitter, “I for one look forward to Captain Marvel making all the money in the world to shut some of these people up” in response to news that trolls were attacking the film on Rotten Tomatoes.

But Shazam himself, Zachary Levi, has also weighed in in an Instagram story, telling fans, they’re not helping and asking them to not “engage in that behavior.” Here’s an excerpt from the video you can see below and understand that Levi is deeply perturbed with the perpetrators.

“For anyone out there who thinks you’re doing me a favor, or you’re doing Shazam a favor, or doing Warner Bros….you’re not,” Levi said. “This is not helping anyone or anything. There is no competition. Just because Shazam used to be called Captain Marvel way back in the day, doesn’t mean that somehow Brie or Marvel’s Captain Marvel are pitted against us. Sure, we’re both movies and we’re both going to be out in theaters at similar times. The irony of that timing is really interesting for sure. There is no conspiracy, guys. Anyone out there that’s holding out to some bone like they need to pick a side and pick a fight is sorely mistaken, and I really hope you’ll just chill on that. Don’t go and engage in that behavior anymore.”

“Captain Marvel” opens in theaters March 8, “Shazam!” hits theaters a month later on April 5. Let’s hope fans can enjoy both and the childish culprits of such games simply go back to the holes they came from.