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Zachary Levi Cast to be SHAZAM

Da-Kid

Da-Kid

Member
https://www.google.com/amp/variety.com/2017/film/news/shazam-zachary-levi-dc-1202601422/amp/
John Cena fans, I feel for you but it's a good choice.

Zachary Levi will play the title character in New Line and DC Entertainment’s “Shazam!,” sources confirmed to Variety.
The film follows a boy named Billy Batson who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic word “Shazam!” The name is an acronym of the ancient gods and historical figures Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, from whom Batson derives his heroic attributes from when in adult form.
David F. Sandberg is directing from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. “Annabelle: Creation’s” Peter Safran will produce.
Click to expand...

John Cena fans, I feel for you but it's a good choice.
 
kunonabi

kunonabi

Member
Well, looks like Shazam is a pass for me then. Not that Cena would have gotten me in the theatre though.
 
K

Kimawolf

Member
Hrm Cena has the physical presence... and is surprisingly funny. I won't judge cause I thought Gal Gadot was a questionable choice too and I turned put quite wrong.
 
K

Kimawolf

Member
This will be shooting before Flashpoint, Batgirl, and Suicide Squad 2 though. So seems like its getting fast tracked.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Are they penny pinching or something? Seems kinda...cheap. He's mostly a low budget tv actor.
 
O

Ombra

Member
This is a bad choice. This is made for tv levels bad as if they didn't really check out the source material, just giving this man a paycheck of this. Real bad move Shazaam is supppsed to be supermassive.
 
N

norm9

Member
Ombra said:
This is a bad choice. This is made for tv levels bad as if they didn't really check out the source material, just giving this man a paycheck of this. Real bad move Shazaam is supppsed to be supermassive.
Click to expand...

If they shop his head onto Cena's body, it might work.
 
J

jason10mm

Gold Member
Call me crazy but to me this concept only works in a modern era if they do a gender or ethnicity swap. A straight "White boy into white male super hero" just doesn't seem like it has much to say (though I admit I don't know much about Shazam's rogues gallery or plotlines). But if there was a girl who turned into a greek god male (Shazam ought to be greek, right?) or (and this would of course have to be a plotline written and vetted by POC) a white/black shift (white boy to black man or vice versa). That could lead to some interesting commentary even if it was played for laughs. In my head Shazam is played by Kevin Hart (in the for laughs version) or Michael Jai White (in the super serious DC style). The Shazam concept just needs a shake up, IMHO.
 
C

Caelus

Member
jason10mm said:
Call me crazy but to me this concept only works in a modern era if they do a gender or ethnicity swap.
Click to expand...

... no? You're overthinking it. It's about the desire to grow up and be powerful, a kid in an grown man's body, and trying to deal with the responsibility of it. That works fine in our era.
 
V

Vkandrew

Member
I really like Levi as an actor but I’m not sure I’m feeling him as Shazam. I guess I’ve said that about a lot of actors cast in super hero movies so I suppose time will tell.
 
J

jason10mm

Gold Member
Caelus said:
... no? You're overthinking it. It's about the desire to grow up and be powerful, a kid in an grown man's body, and trying to deal with the responsibility of it. That works fine in our era.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I feel like the "grow up and accept responsibility " angle has been beaten to death. Spiderman, Iron man, Thor, Man of Steel, they have all tackled that theme. I think a different transition is necessary. Maybe a kid in a wheelchair that becomes a superhero (since Thor dropped this angle). Or play it for laughs, which the Zach casting suggests.
 
X

Xero

Member
jason10mm said:
Call me crazy but to me this concept only works in a modern era if they do a gender or ethnicity swap. A straight "White boy into white male super hero" just doesn't seem like it has much to say (though I admit I don't know much about Shazam's rogues gallery or plotlines). But if there was a girl who turned into a greek god male (Shazam ought to be greek, right?) or (and this would of course have to be a plotline written and vetted by POC) a white/black shift (white boy to black man or vice versa). That could lead to some interesting commentary even if it was played for laughs. In my head Shazam is played by Kevin Hart (in the for laughs version) or Michael Jai White (in the super serious DC style). The Shazam concept just needs a shake up, IMHO.
Click to expand...
i dont think shazam as a movie really needs to say anything about gender or race issues at least woth the swapping of races or genders. particularly i feel the feed back would be too bad with a little black kid transforming into an adult white man. it would be ghost in the shell all over again. you feel the kid being an adult has been done to death, but nothing thats been released invokes the same feelings as shazam.A super hero with the power of superman eith all the child like wonder and optimism hasnt really been done yet. i do admit i wouldnt necessarily hate the wheelchair idea.
 
Black_Stride

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Wait what.

He has a ton of working out to do then.

If the Rock is still doing Black Adam then Zachery needs to go camp out with the rock till filming of the Black Adam x Shazam movie happens.
Get their chemistry on point and get Zachary to atleast look like he could Shazam the situation.

I wonder who is gonna play Billy Batson then, cuz im guessing Billy will be be in atleast 50% of the movie and will be carrying a big portion of the narrative along.
Where as Shazam will be doing the beating and shit.

CGI fest?

We want Black Adam solo movie not long after SHAZAM DC...make that shit happen!
 
Andyliini

Andyliini

Member
No idea who is, but then again, the character is also quite unfamiliar with me. I'm just surprised it took this long to cast the main character, as the filming should began as soon as in February. Haven't seen the works from director Sandberg either, altough he seems to be able to work with smaller budgets. Any info on Shazam's production budget?
 
NeonZ

NeonZ

Member
jason10mm said:
I dunno, I feel like the "grow up and accept responsibility " angle has been beaten to death. Spiderman, Iron man, Thor, Man of Steel, they have all tackled that theme. I think a different transition is necessary. Maybe a kid in a wheelchair that becomes a superhero (since Thor dropped this angle). Or play it for laughs, which the Zach casting suggests.
Click to expand...

Something close to that actually happens in the source material. It's not Captain Marvel/Shazam himself though, but he later shares his power with a teen who was almost killed by a super villain and had to use a crutch to walk, allowing him to transform into Captain Marvel Jr.
 
S

Schweinehund

Member
Have no idea who that is and that's not a bad thing. The tough part is still casting a kid (whom I think will be atleast a teenager.)

John Cena I'm not convinced has the acting chops, but him vs black adam would have been great (still no BA for first film).

I know Shazam is in universe but I'm curious how much interaction he'll have with the JL (being on it or not), especially since he's no longer in the core lineup in the comic books, which was DC's template across all the media for the longest time.
 
D

Doodis

Member
I've liked Zach since Chuck, so I hope this goes well. That said he better get to work:
zachary-levi-shirtless-hawaii-beach-vacation.jpg
 
Soapbox Killer

Soapbox Killer

Grand Nagus
So when I read this I thought about the dude who played Spock in the JJ reboot and thought, "boy he's going to have to work out big time." Then I clicked on the link and was confused since they have the same name and a similar body build.


In any event, it seems like a rather odd choice but I've been mad wrong with comic casting in the past so I'll shut up and see how this plays. (I thought Chris Evens was wrong for Cap, and he's prolly the best casted Hero after Patrick Stewart and RDJ)
 
J

jason10mm

Gold Member
TVexperto said:
Anyone who thinks he is a bad actor needs to watch Chuck asap
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Chuck basically WAS Shazam, wasn't he? He was a dorky guy that tapped into super spy powers. Maybe they'll do the reverse concept, a powerful hero that turns into a kid at inconvenient times:)
 
A

Atrus

Gold Member
I'd like to be on whatever workout plan it takes to turn Zachary Levi into Shazam. Maybe they have a different avenue in mind considering Batman and Suoerman are so swole.
 
K

Kimawolf

Member
Yeah Capt America is a GREAT example of just being wrong on casting on my part as well lol, so I won't judge any longer.
 
T

Takuan

Member
Doodis said:
I've liked Zach since Chuck, so I hope this goes well. That said he better get to work:
zachary-levi-shirtless-hawaii-beach-vacation.jpg
Click to expand...
That's actually not a bad base to work from. Hollywood supplements will get him where he needs to be, I'm sure.

I don't think Henry Cavil was a big guy before Superman.
 
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