The first trailer for Shazam! was released unexpectedly during Comic-Con and while reshoots are currently taking place, those seemingly aren't as problematic as the ones Suicide Squad and Justice League went through so there's really no need to worry.
With April rapidly approaching, there's a very good chance Warner Bros. will put another trailer together for the DC Comics adaptation to coincide with the release of Aquaman but it's equally as likely they'll hold off until early next year. Time will tell. In the meantime, though, a new synopsis has landed which sheds some light on what we should expect from Shazam! when it's released.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Asher Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou). Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).
There's not a lot there we didn't already know but I'm pretty sure X-ray vision is a new addition to the character's skillset, right? Either way, it's clear Shazam! is going to follow Geoff Johns' comic books.
For our recap of the first trailer for the
movie, click on the "View List" button below.
Meet Billy Batson
In Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's New 52 run, Billy Batson was a pretty horrible kid and something of a bully. Director David F. Sandberg has already said he's toned down those characteristics to make the youngster more likeable and we see that he's just struggling with life as a foster child. He's something of a tearaway (he steals a car at one point) but is far from a bad person when all is said and done.
What works in the comic books doesn't always translate to screen and it's fair to say that changing some aspects of Billy is the right move for Shazam! as it will be more satisfying to see play out.