Zachary Levi to Star in ‘Shazam!’

The latest addition to the DC Comics universe is Chuck star Zachary Levi, who will star as Billy Batson, a.k.a. Shazam in the upcoming Shazam! film.

Batson is a young boy who can transform himself into an adult superhero when he utters the phrase “Shazam!” More than just a cool thing to shout, this acronym represents the mythical figures Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, whose powers are granted to Batson.

Scoring the lead in the DC Comics film is a big jump for Levi, previously starring in a variety of comedic projects, but the actor also has a history with the world of superheroes. Before seeing him in Shazam!, fans can see Levi in Thor: Ragnarok as Fandral, and has also appeared in Heroes: Reborn.

Levi isn’t the only person involved in the film who will be wading into uncharted territory, with this being the first massive action film for director David F. Sandberg. Previously, Sandberg helmed films like Annabelle: Creation and Lights Out. Both of these terrifying tales proved to be big box office successes for Warner Bros., granting him to opportunity to tackle a superhero that isn’t as well-known as the members of the Justice League.

Over recent weeks, Sandberg has been teasing his followers on social media with glimpses of the shooting process on Shazam!, which made this casting announcement imminent.

Last week, the director even turned to Reddit to confirm that the film is being shot with a tentative release in April of 2019.

Earlier this week, the director took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the pressures of making a superhero film.

“‘Shazam has a hood on his cape? Motherf**ker!!’ ‘Shazam doesn’t have a hood on his cape? Burn in hell!’” the director continued about the types of complaints he anticipates. “I’ll have to enjoy this time before much is known about the film and it can be anything to anybody.”

Hopefully this casting announcement will quell some fans’ doubts about the project.

[H/T The Hollywood Reporter]