With James Wan's Aquaman safely in the rearview mirror (and doing blockbuster business worldwide), it's time to start looking ahead at the next big DC adventure on Warner Bros.' release calendar, which is, of course, David F. Sandberg's Shazam!
The film stars Zachary Levi (Chuck) as the titular boy-turned-superhero with youngster Asher Angel (Andi Mack) playing Billy Batson. The cast will also feature Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Jack Dylan Grazer (It), Grace Fulton (Annabelle: Creation), Ian Chen (Fresh off the Boat), Jovan Armand (The Middle), Faithe Herman (This is Us), Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead), Marta Milans (The Pier), and Djimon Hounsou (Captain Marvel).
While we'll have to wait a few more weeks for that new trailer, Sandberg did recently tell Fandango that the film will appeal to anyone that has ever dreamt of being a superhero and that he's most excited for fans to see "all of the scenes with Shazam learning his powers. It’s such a joy seeing a kid get to become a superhero, and it’s not something we’re used to seeing. Which is kind of weird because it’s the ultimate wish-fulfillment.”
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam, courtesy of an ancient wizard. 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.
Shazam! features:
Director: David F. Sandberg
Zachary Levi as Shazam
Asher Angel as William "Billy" Batson
Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana
Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick "Freddy" Freeman
Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield
Ian Chen as Eugene Choi
Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña
Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley
Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez
Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez
Djimon Hounsou as Shazam (The Wizard)
Lotta Losten in an undisclosed role
Ross Butler in an undisclosed role
Roger Davies in an undisclosed role
Andi Osho as Mrs. Glover
Natalia Safran as Venus Sivana
Shazam! zaps into theaters April 5