'Shazam' Star Zachary Levi's Father Succumbs to Cancer

Chisom Ndianefo
Close-up shot of Zachary Levi
Getty | Allen Berezovsky

Zachary Levi announced his father's death, Darrell Pugh, via a shared post on Instagram by penning a heartfelt message he titled 'Papa D.'

Although, before announcing the passing of his father, fans criticized Zachary Levi for supporting the anti-vaccine movement on Twitter only a few days after he announced the passing of his father.

His Dad Fought To The End

Zachary's post about his father's death.
instagram

According to Zachary Levi, his dad passed away after a long battle with thyroid cancer and although he passed away, the actor said, he's at peace knowing he's no longer trapped in a decaying body but rather singing karaoke in heaven.

Zachary Is Grateful To His Fans

The actor tearfully said that the "love" and "prayers" sent to his father had increased his faith in people. Please know that our entire family, including him, felt and appreciated everything.

The Value Of Family

Zachary Levi and his father during a previous update.
instagram

"Sending you all limitless love and light straight back," Zachary concluded. The actor also commented on the photo along with the message, emphasizing the value of family.

Zachary's Message To The World

Zachary's previous post-surgery update about his father.
instagram

Hug those you love. Hug ‘em tight. Talk about everything you need to talk about. Say all the things. And when the time comes, release them to journey back to where it all began. Back to paradise. A place we’ll all be so lucky to return to some day. ❤️🙏

He captioned the post.

Getting Support From Friends

The actor got a lot of encouraging feedback from his coworkers in the entertainment business and outside.

Mandy Moore wrote in the comments;

"Sending you and your family all my love, Zac."

Lucy Liu added;

"Holding you so tightly friend ❤️"

Asked Fans To Pray For His Late Dad

Zachary Levi
Giphy | SAG Awards

The actor had requested prayers for his father, who was fighting cancer, on Twitter around two weeks before the terrible news was announced on Sunday.

In late November, just before his father was scheduled to have surgery as part of his ongoing struggle with illness, Levi had previously released footage of him.

Negative Feedback

Feedback
Giphy

Levi received negative feedback online on Sunday after tweeting an attack on the pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer.

Anti-Vaccine Sentiment

Vaccine
Unsplash | Spencer Davis

The 42-year-old actor started the uproar when he quoted a post from an account that promoted anti-vaccine sentiments and stated that Pfizer was "a serious menace to the planet."

Hardcore Agree

In his retweet, Levi, whose new DC Comics movie is scheduled to open in theaters on March 17, wrote: "Hardcore agree."

Zachary's View May Have A Huge Impact On Warner Bros.

Warner Bros.
Giphy | Warner Archive

Even though Levi was expressing his personal views, he is now associated with the Warner Bros. brand, and this recent action may signal the start of yet another public relations fight for the movie and television production company.

'Shazam' Sequel Is Set To Make Its Theatre Debut In March

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' promotional art
instagram

Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the upcoming Shazam! sequel will have Zachary as one of its characters and will hit theaters in March.

Zachary Faces Intense Online Criticism

A still from the new 'Shazam' trailer
instagram

While some Twitter users criticized the actor and even threatened to skip the Shazam movie, others applauded the actor for taking a courageous stand.

Keeping A Low Profile

Zachary Levi
Flickr | canburak

Although since the now-viral tweet, Zachary is maintaining a low profile on social media which makes sense considering the fact that he is currently mourning.

May His Soul Rest In Peace

Our heart goes out to the family as they mourn the loss of their loved one, Darren Pugh.