Shazam is one of the oldest DC characters out there. First debuted in 1939 when the character's name was still Captain Marvel, the comic books became very popular, but legal issues prevented it from really taking off. The series has come back a few times without major success. Now DC is taking it to the big screen.
We're here to give you the details on everything we know so far about the film. With San Diego Comic-Con upon us, we'll review what's been announced and share some thoughts on what we hope to see at SDCC. [SDCC update: The first Shazam trailer has arrived at SDCC along with some other new details about what to expect from the movie. Check it out above.]
What It's About
Shazam is an upcoming movie in the DC Extended Universe which follows a superhero of the same name. He discovers as a boy that he can turn into a superhero by saying the word "shazam," which is technically an acronym for a slew of gods and heroes from various cultures (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury).
When he says the word, he transforms into a fully grown adult with superpowers. At first, young Billy Batson spends a lot of time playing with his powers, but he has to get it together and become the superhero Shazam in order to fight the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.
Who's Who
Crew
- David Sandberg (Lights Out) is directing Shazam.
- Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke are penning the script.
Cast
- Zachary Levi, (Chuck) , stars as the superhero version of Shazam, who is literally a boy inside a man's body.
- Asher Angel (Andi Mack) plays Billy Batson, the young version of Shazam.
- Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service) plays the villainous Doctor Sivana.
What's Been Released So Far
The film is many months from its release, so no trailers have dropped, but a few photos have come out. The very first look at Levi in costume was a set photo that the actor posted on Reddit. Another photo features both versions of Billy Batson, one as a kid, and the other in full super-gear. Zachary Levi also featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.
We've also seen a poster featuring Levi in costume and sipping on a comically large beverage, which appears to confirm the director's earlier statements that this movie will have a lighter tone than the other films in the DCEU.
What We Want At Comic-Con
Along with Shazam, Warner Bros. is presenting Aquaman and Wonder Woman: 1984 at Comic-Con. Since Shazam is not coming out for a while, we're not expecting much information on the film at the Hall H presentation, but it's still possible that there will be something new announced.
This movie doesn't have too much mystery around it, so we really just want to see some footage from the film, ideally a trailer. It would also be great to get some clarification on the rumors around Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's involvement. Initially, he was tapped to play Black Adam, Shazam's nemesis, but now reports say that he won't be in the movie. The director essentially said that Black Adam was in and out of earlier versions of the script, but he pulled focus from Shazam. Now, it looks like DC is developing a Black Adam movie.
Altogether, we hope we get some new information at Comic-Con to hold us over until the movie comes out April 5, 2019, but we're not expecting much.