Zachary Levi Puts The Shazam! Padded Suit Controversy To Rest

Actors sometimes may struggle a little bit with bad press. Scandals aren’t the only roots of annoying things in the news. Sometimes, fans like to tweak stars by spreading silly rumors online. Zachary Levi, the star of the upcoming Warner Bros./DC Entertainment film Shazam!, finds himself accused of wearing a padded suit. Padded suits serve as a comically ineffective way of making someone present the appearance of bulging muscles. Padded suits have not improved all that much over the past hundred years of motion pictures. That’s why so few would risk wearing one.

Had Levi worn such a suit there’s no way he would be able to claim the lumpy and bulky look reflected real muscles. Don’t let the truth get in the way of a goofy rumor though. Strategically leaked footage online designed to promote the movie featured Levi in full Shazam! costume. Comic book movie fans who love to chatter on the internet raised speculation about Levi’s muscles being fake. Unlike Bigfoot, the Levi controversy ended when the actor provided photographic proof about the mystery.

Levi posted a picture of himself not wearing a shirt. He clearly carries a decent amount of lean muscle mass and low body fat. Jokingly, Levi made mention of his chicken and broccoli diet. He also noted that he cut carbs and upped his whey protein intake. The actor also mentioned he spent quite a bit of time in the gym. The silliness of the padded suit controversy does create a teachable moment for anyone who watches action movies and wishes he or she could look like the person on screen. Zachary Levi sports an attainable physique.

Often, larger-than-life movie stars develop a physique that simply can’t be maintained 24/7. Their look mimics the contest cycle of a bodybuilder. They train to look a certain way during the relatively short duration of a film shoot. The average person couldn’t maintain that look day in and day out. Neither could the actor on screen.

Levi’s look — along with the physiques of other DC comic book movie stars Henry Cavill and Jason Mamoa — can be attained with a strict commitment to diet and exercise. So, you don’t need to reach for a padded suit. Just follow Levi’s lead and get your diet and physical fitness routine on track.

Conspiracy theorists may still claim the suit was padded and the photo doctored. Levi doubtfully cares.