'Shazam' Movie Updates: Zachary Levi Bags Titular Role
After all the rumors and speculations, it is now confirmed that Zachary Levi is playing the role of Shazam in the DC superhero character's solo eponymous movie.
While Levi is known mostly for his comedy roles, especially for the spy-comedy series "Chuck," which ran on NBC from 2007 to 2012, he will soon portray one of the most powerful characters from the pages of DC comic books, Shazam.
According to an exclusive report by The Hollywood Reporter, Levi emerged as the choice for the solo "Shazam" movie, besting the other contenders for the role, including John Cena, Derek Theler, Zane Holtz, Billy Magnussen, and Jake McDorman.
"Shazam" will follow the adventures of a young boy named Billy Batson who transforms into the powerful superhero after shouting the word "Shazam," which stands for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. The movie will be directed by David F. Sandberg for New Line Cinema, a sister company of Warner Bros, which produces the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) movies.
While the announcement on Levi bagging the role of Shazam is still fresh, the actor may have already breathed life to the character as it is speculated that he is featured in a cameo appearance in the upcoming "Justice League" movie. Speculations on this being the case stemmed from a recent TV spot for "Justice League," showing a character that seems to be generating a massive bolt of lightning to use against Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds).
Although the scene in reference happens fast, upon several playbacks, eagle-eyed fans have discovered that the said character wears a red outfit with gold-plated armor pieces and what appears to be a cape, something that matches Shazam's iconic costume. However, there are also those who suspect that the character may be Zeus as the scene seems to be about Steppenwolf and his armies' battle against the Amazons during the ancient times in the story.
Meanwhile, "Shazam" is expected to enter its principal photography in February next year, and is slated for an April 2019 release.
