The DC Extended Universe has been taken down a new path and while some fans were initially reluctant to delve into what appeared, on the surface, to be a "Marvelisation" of this shared world,
Aquaman's $1+ billion box office haul proves that Warner Bros. has finally found a direction that works for these characters. However, while Jason Momoa's Arthur Curry had the advantage of having already appeared elsewhere,
Shazam!'s titular hero is something totally new for the vast majority of moviegoers. Well, this origin story for the Big, Red Cheese is an absolute triumph and a perfect introduction to both Asher Angel's Billy Batson and Zachary Levi's Shazam.
Playing two sides of the same coin, the actors do a fantastic job in their respective roles and regardless of whether we're spending time with Billy as he tries to find out the truth behind the apparent disappearance of his parents or Shazam as he comes to terms with his incredible new powers, each of them steals the show here in their own ways. After being wasted by Marvel Studios, Levi proves that he has what it takes to be a superhero and he's a fantastic addition to the DCEU who needs to both join the Justice League and cross paths with Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam sooner rather than later.
The rest of the cast do a great job as well, with Mark Strong as the villainous Dr. Sivana and Jack Dylan Grazer's Freddy Freeman the obvious highlights. However, both Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans as the foster parents of these kids deserve a special mention as they bring a lot of heart to proceedings.
Shazam!'s plot is perhaps a little too straightforward as origin stories go but there are some nice surprises (a few of which have sadly been spoiled by action figures) and the horror elements absent from trailers definitely shake things up even if the Seven Deadly Sins don't make quite the impact we hoped for. The humour is strong throughout and you definitely get the feeling that Shazam really is just a 14 year old kid who has found himself as a superhero, something the comics often tend to forget. The final battle drags a little and there are some additions to the story who more than likely would have been better off saved for a sequel as things start to get too busy at this point but the stage has been set for that to be explored in a sequel, so it's really not the end of the world.
Overall,
Shazam! is just a fun time at the theater and I can't imagine anyone walking away not wanting to see more of him. Warner Bros. and New Line definitely have a special franchise on their hands here and even though the DCEU is becoming increasingly standalone in nature, there's more than enough to explore in this particular corner to keep us entertained for years to come.
Director David F. Sandberg has delivered a strong introduction for the original Captain Marvel with Shazam! and this is an absolute must-see for any comic book fan out there. The DCEU has a new Super Man and his name is Zachary Levi.