Zachary Levi Wanted Thor and the Warriors Three to Have Their Own Trilogy

Zachary Levi might be gearing up to play the titular character in DC’s Shazam!, but it sounds like he still has some feelings about his previous comic book movie role.

In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Levi spoke about playing Fandral in Marvel’s Thor movies, and how the role hadn’t been exactly what he’d hoped.

“I just don’t think those characters were quite utilized to the best of their abilities,” Levi said of the Warriors Three. “Thor and the Warriors Three could have been a really cool little trilogy of team movies, and we didn’t really have that much impact. Particularly not in Ragnarok – I mean, I didn’t even have a line.”

As audiences will remember, Fandral was initially portrayed by Josh Dallas in the first Thor movie after Levi had to back out due to a scheduling conflict with Chuck. Levi then portrayed the character in Thor: The Dark World, before Fandral and the Warriors Three were subsequently killed off in Thor: Ragnarok.

“When I got cast as Fandral in the first one, though I wasn’t able to do it, I knew that the Warriors Three could be really fun characters if they ever developed them but they just didn’t,” Levi admitted during a visit to Shazam!‘s set. “They didn’t in the first one, they didn’t really in The Dark World. It’s not to say that there wasn’t some moments that were shot that weren’t used ultimately in the movie.”

“Even when I got killed, there was more to that scene,” Levi continued. “Granted maybe 30 seconds more, like a line here, a line there, kill, kill, you’re dead. But I knew Fandral could be fodder, would be fodder, I don’t know. Unless Marvel really wanted to be like, ‘And we want every single character we’ve ever seen, particularly demi-gods come on, to be able to be a part of Avengers.’ But then the truth is, to be honest, if let’s say Fandral was still alive and let’s say they had me to be in the [Avengers: Infinity War], I’d probably be sitting in Atlanta for three months doing almost nothing while everyone else [worked]…and then they’d be, ‘Okay now we’re ready for you and you guys go in.’ And then we’d get killed then. So the way it all worked out is it exactly the way it was supposed to.”

And while Levi hasn’t shied away from disclosing what he wishes had happened with Fandral, it sounds like he’s happy that the experience led him to Shazam!.

“Yeah, it would’ve been cool that Fandral got more to do. Dude, what a fun character,” Levi added. “Errol Flynn, Viking, space god, ladies man. Come on. That’s all fun. So yeah that was a little bit of a bummer b– ut looking back, if I didn’t die, I might still be under contract with Marvel and I never would’ve been able to get this job. And I say f–k that. This is the coolest thing ever, I’m so happy that I got to do it. And being able to like literally just jumpstart my life and I’m healthier and stronger and happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Shazam! lands in theaters on April 5th.