Following Stephen Amell‘s comments on the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike (and his eventual clarification), a quote from another DC actor at a fan event is generating backlash.
Zachary Levi, star of Shazam and the upcoming Netflix Spy Kids reboot, was at Comic-Con Manchester last weekend when he apparently joked about how he’s not “allowed” to talk about any of his projects.
“This is so dumb,” Levi says in a clip posted to TikTok on Thursday by @moviemaniacs. “I’m not allowed to talk about any of my previous work. I’m not allowed to talk about movies I’ve been a superhero in.” He also vaguely references Tangled and Chuck. In mid-July, Levi had posted a strike update to Instagram, and expressed support for striking actors.
@moviemaniacs Zachary Levi calls strike rules “so dumb”
♬ original sound – Movie Maniacs
Strike rules prohibit actors from promoting new projects or any project “covered by the TV/theatrical contracts,” according to a July 13 memo. That means Levi potentially can’t promote the upcoming Spy Kids: Armageddon, out next month, which also stars Gina Rodriguez. Their casting in the film also saw some backlash this week, and earlier this year, just before the release of Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Levi saw criticism for following an anti-LGBTQ Twitter account and expressing anti-vax views.
In a statement to Vanity Fair, Levi attempted to clarify his Comic-Con comments, stating that they were made in “jest” and “taken out of context”: “I fully support my union, the WGA, and the strike. I remain an outspoken critic of the exploitative system that us artists are subject to work in since I started my journey in this business 25 years ago.”
