DC’s "Shazam!" has found its star.
The Hollywood Reporter has gotten word that DC’s magical superhero movie, Shazam!, has cast none other than Zachary Levi to play… Shazam. (Get used to that word ‘cause that shit’s gonna pop up all over the place.)
That’s right, Zachary Levi, the super skinny, scrawny dude who is best known for his title role in NBC’s Chuck, is playing a superhero who can take on Superman.
Just… Why?
The character of Shazam is actually a young boy named Billy Batson, who meets a wizard and is given the power to transform into an adult superhero by yelling the magic word, “Shazam!”
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is that Levi does not have the build of a superhero like Shazam. He has played a more nimble and quick hero, Fandral, in Thor: The Dark World and the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok.
Now, I have nothing against Zachary Levi, he’s just not my first choice for this character. But, if Dwayne Johnson is playing Black Adam, Shazam’s nemesis, then Levi’s gonna have to put on some major muscle to look like he can even remotely take on The Rock.
All that being said, I know I’m being really petty about the appearance of the character which comic book movies have always taken liberties with. The one thing Levi does have going for him is also the thing that makes this character special, and that’s the fact that the adult Shazam still has the mind of the teenage Billy Batson. So, naturally, this character is pretty comedic with his immature mind, which Levi should have no problem portraying.
The film is being produced by New Line and will be directed by David S. Sandberg. Shazam! will be the next DC movie to start filming with production expected to begin in February of next year. As mentioned, Dwayne Johnson is Black Adam, but he is having his own separate movie made and there is no word if he will appear in Shazam!