'Shazam!' Director Reveals Billy Batson's Mission

DC Comics and Warner Bros. finally said the magic word and premiered the first trailer for Shazam! at San Diego Comic-Con, revealing their family-friendly take on the superhero genre to the world.

But this version of Billy Batson is different from what comic fans might be used to, skewing closer to the New 52 version of the character. Director David F. Sandberg and the cast of Shazam! stopped by the ComicBook.com studio at San Diego Comic-Con, where we learned more about Billy's goal in the new movie. You can watch their appearance in the video player above!

"He's trying to find his family... His mom is still out there," said Sandberg. "But once he gets these powers, he's just trying to figure out what to do with them and how it works. For that he needs his friend Freddie, who is like a superhero expert, who helps him to discover his powers and how to be a superhero."

Freddie is shown in the trailer as Billy's new foster brother, who helps the Wizard's Champion learn how to harness his abilities after he's gifted with superpowers. Played by It actor Jack Dylan Grazer, the character's obsession with superheroes provides a link to the greater DC cinematic universe.

"Well they're all still existent in that universe, so Freddie Freeman does in fact idolize all of those superheroes," said Grazer. "Like Superman, Batman, the whole Justice League... and I know all about them."

Given the importance of this film to Warner Bros.' current strategy for DC Films, it sounds like Shazam! could take on a greater role in the growing cinematic universe. And star Zachary Levi is excited about the prospect of potentially teaming up with Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman in a future project.

"I would lose my sh*t if that happened, I would lose all of the sh*ts," Levi told Entertainment Weekly. "I remember thinking, 'If I get this and if this movie does well enough and if Justice League does well enough and they make another Justice League … maybe I'll be on that next poster with all those guys."

We'll learn more about Shazam's presence in the DC universe of superhero movies as we get closer to the premiere of the movie.

Shazam! will hit theaters on April 5, 2019.