Credit: Amazon StudiosZachary Levi has had a rough time in Hollywood recently and is practically begging for the Walt Disney Company to take him back as a leading man.
Things looked very bright for Zachary Levi not that long ago. His debut DC Extended Universe, Shazam! (2019), was a surprise critical and commercial hit, and he seemed poised to become an even bigger part of the franchise after Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam (2022) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023).
However, Black Adam became the debacle that forced Warner Bros to restructure the DCEU as James Gunn’s new DC Universe, and the Shazam sequel was a box office flop that received scathing reviews that Levi describes as “insanely unkind.”
On top of that, Zachary Levi was widely criticized for his alleged anti-vaccination views, made a number of statements perceived as anti-union during the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and eventually turned to calling Hollywood movies in general “garbage” that fans should not see.
Clearly, it is time for Zachary Levi to turn to Disney.
Related: Shazam’s Zachary Levi Calls Toxic DC Fans “Very Powerless People”
Zachary Levi, Disney, and ‘Tangled’
Zachary Levi already has a history with the Walt Disney Company. He voiced Flynn Ryder (nee Eugene Fitzherbert) in the much beloved Tangled (2010), making his singing debut alongside pop star/actress Mandy Moore, who voiced Rapunzel.
While it has not been confirmed that Disney is developing a live-action remake of Tangled, it has been heavily rumored for the last several years. Considering the House of Mouse has been increasingly relying on live-action remakes like The Lion King (2019), Dumbo (2019), and the upcoming, incredibly controversial Snow White, why not Tangled next?
Pugh and Pugh
It has been heavily rumored that Disney is pursuing Florence Pugh to play the central role of Rapunzel for a Tangled remake, but there is even less word about who could play a live-action Flynn Ryder.
As Zachary Levi sees it, why should Disney not just go back to its original star? At the recent Chicago Fan Expo, Levi seems extremely open to playing Flynn Ryder once again, to the point of seemingly asking to be cast.
@moviemaniacs Zachary Levi open to reprising Tangled character if Florence Pugh plays Rapunzel
Specifically, Zachary Levi said, “There was this thing floating around the internet, I just saw it, somebody sent it to me, that Florence Pugh potentially might play the role of Rapunzel. And If Florence plays Rapunzel, what about me? Which would also be a trip because my real last name is Pugh, p-u-g-h, Zachary Levi Pugh, so you’d have [makes noises] in Tangled. Come on!”
Related: Zachary Levi Has A Wild Crossover Idea For ‘Shazam 3’
Zachary Levi and Franchises
Zachary Levi has been part of almost every major Hollywood franchise at this point, and it looks like he wants to keep that track record going. In addition to playing Shazam in the DCEU, he played Marvel’s Asgardian Fandral in Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and is also angling to play Dash Rendar in the Star Wars universe in some capacity.
However, it really seems like Zachary Levi wants to come back to Disney, and right now, it’s hard to blame him.
Who do you want to see in a live-action Tangled? Sound off in the comments below!