‘Shazam’ actor’s physique gets love from ‘superheroes’

Zachary Levi

While official photos of Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel in “Shazam!” have yet to be released, paparazzi pictures of the actor clad in the skintight red costume have appeared on social media.

Fitness site Men’s Health wondered if he was wearing fake musculature under the costume. When Levi was cast in the role last year, fans expected the slim actor to bulk up and dye his hair black, to look like the DC hero.

“Warner Bros. declined MensHealth.com’s request for a clarifying interview with the ‘Shazam!’ costume department, citing the need ‘to preserve as much of the movie magic as possible while the film is still in production,’ said a recent article on the site.

But Levi posted a photo of himself on Instagram, shirtless—he’s buff and not lanky anymore. He wrote on his caption an unusual equation: “It’s like the old saying goes, ‘Hard work, over time, plus chicken & broccoli, minus carbs, divided by whey protein, in which ‘X’ represents the amount of supplements and ‘Y’ represents the sentiment of ‘Why the hell am I doing this to myself?!’ multiplied by shameless selfies whilst staring into nowhere [carry the one] equals results.”

Stephen Amell, who plays the titular archer hero in “Arrow,” commented with a smiling emoji with hearts for eyes. And the latest Superman himself, Henry Cavill, responded, “Looking fantastic, sir!”

The film, costarring Mark Strong and Asher Angel, will be released in 2019. —OLIVER PULUMBARIT