Zachary Levi to suit up as Shazam! for David F. Sandberg’s DC film

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

For quite some time, we’ve been wondering just who would fill the red-and-gold tights of Shazam! in David F. Sandberg‘s (ANNABELLE: CREATION) upcoming big-screen adaptation of the DC comic. Well, wonder no more, because THR reports that Zachary Levi (Chuck) will be the one to fill the role of Earth’s mightiest mortal.

Following a young boy named Billy Batson who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic work “Shazam!”, the DC project is being developed concurrently with a film which will focus on Shazam villain Black Adam, set to star Dwayne Johnson. Although Zachary Levi is no stranger to the comic-book genre, appearing as Fandral, one of the Warriors Three, in both THOR: THE DARK WORLD and THOR: RAGNAROK, this will certainly be Levi’s biggest project to date, and although his casting may not be quite what I imagined, he’s certainly got the wit and charm to make Shazam! his own. Although the Black Adam project has probably had the lion’s share of the attention up to this point, because, come on, Dwayne Johnson, I’m starting to get pumped for SHAZAM!, especially as David F. Sandberg said earlier this summer that it will be one of the more lighthearted movies in the DC universe.

The big attraction for me with that character is the fact that every kid dreams of being Superman, right? I mean I certainly did, and (Billy Batson) is a kid that gets that chance. He gets to become the superhero. So it’ll be big with superpowers in a way. In terms of what people can expect, I think this will be one of the more fun or lighthearted movies so far in the DC universe. It certainly will be a departure.

No official release date has been set for SHAZAM! just yet, but production on the film is reportedly looking to get underway in Toronto in February 2018. Those of you looking forward to witnessing Zachary Levi and Dwayne Johnson trading blows will likely be disappointed, as DC Films president Geoff Johns told Yahoo back in July that Black Adam will not be in SHAZAM!. “[Dwayne’s] still doing Black Adam, but he won’t be in Shazam!” D’oh.

What do you folks think? Will Zachary Levi make a good Shazam?