While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has long been confirmed to be playing the antagonist of the Shazam film slated to be released in April of 2019, no casting announcements have been made concerning who would be playing the films protagonist. Obviously given the hype around superhero movies as of late actors and actresses are typically quick to comment on the fact that they'd like to play a hero or villain in an upcoming film, one such actor - whose been stating for years that he'd like to play a superhero - is Baby Daddy star Derek Theler.
In the past Theler's been quoted - on numerous occasions - that he'd love to play a superhero on screen. When asked who he'd like to play given the chance for Marvel, Theler was quoted stating:
I'm a huge, huge comic book fan. I love the superhero movies so much. If I had to be one of the Avengers, I would go with Thor. I would have to. I just think I look the part too much, and I'm a fan of all of them, but Thor would be something that I think I could put on. I think I could make it happen.
On other occasions the actor was quoted stating things along the following lines:
When I first dropped into L.A., I wanted to be a superhero!
Despite the fact that this may seem to be nothing more than typical Hollywood actor banter, Theler genuienly seems interesting in playing a superhero role, and with a comedic acting background behind him, and a 6'5' (yes, 6 feet and 5 inches tall) it seems he'd be more than fit to play the part of Shazam/Captain Marvel.
Theler frequentley shares fan-art fans have tweeted or sent to him featuring him playing the titular hero of the Shazam film, but more recently - as shared to a reddit - it seems as if Theler has directly responded to a fans request for him to play Shazam. Not only does the image below cite Theler as saying he loves the character, but it also shows that Theler proceeded to follow the account in question...whether that makes him more interested in the role (following the Instagram account as a means of seeing more potential images of himself as the hero) or simply a good guy is something I leave for you to decide.
As someone who has both seen and enjoys the Freeform comedy that is Baby Daddy I can confidently say that Theler would be up to playing the part of Shazam. While he is a sigificiantly less known actor then some of them names being thrown around by fans for the role (i.e. Channing Tatum, Patrick Warburton, Brandon Molale), it's of note that "The Rock" already brings quite a bit of appeal and star-power to the Shazam film, and so there is no real stress in bringing in a star who is universally known.
Furthermore, Theler is quite young (at 29), making him an ideal age for not only future Shazam films, but an ideal represntation of what the teenage Billy Batson might want to become when he utters the word "Shazam". What many fail to realize is that - along with representing the Wisdom of Solomon, Strength of Hercules, Stamina of Atlas, Power of Zeus, Courage of Achilles, and Speed of Mercury - Shazam/Captain Marvel also represents an ideal form for Billy Batson, a young man with a troubled and unpleasant past. While choices like Brandon Molale and Patrick Warburton certainly fit the bill when compared to some versions of the character's representation in comics - namely Kingdom and Kingdom Come - it's worth noting that they're both quite old, and no young man's ideal form is a "big old guy". As stated previously Theler is also in steller shape and stands at 6'5", taller than "The Rock" himself, presenting a plausible physcial match for the ex. WWE star turned actor.
But hey! What do you think? Is Theler someone you'd consider for the role? Or do you have another choice in mind? Comment below and let me know!