Fans finally got their first look at the highly anticipated DC Comics movie Shazam!, putting the spotlight on the superhero formerly known as Captain Marvel and his extended family.
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But one quick moment in that new trailer for DC Films‘ newest superhero teased to a greater moment in Shazam lore, one that points toward its influence from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s acclaimed reimagining of the character.
The trailer shows Billy Batson before he’s bestowed with the Power of Shazam, escaping a group of bullies and making it onto a subway car. People file out of his partition, and he is magically transported to the lair of the wizard Shazam, who is the only occupant in a series of seven chairs which normally belong to the Council of Eternity.
Shazam then grants Billy his power, turning him into a superhero with abilities comparable to Superman
In Johns and Frank’s storyline, the wizard is a part of a pantheon that grants their powers to Black Adam, the first champion who becomes corrupted by his abilities and eventually becomes Shazam’s greatest villain.
In the comics, the other members of the Council of Eternity have since disappeared, which is hinted as being because of the actions of Black Adam. It remains to be seen if that specific aspect will be teased in Shazam!, especially because Black Adam will not be the villain.
Instead, Asher Angel and Zachary Levi will go up against Mark Strong, who will be playing the character’s historic villain Doctor Sivanna.
Sivanna is briefly glimpsed in the trailer, when Shazam tries to punch him but the villainous scientist catches the blow in midair.
“I’m playing an evil bastard called Doctor Sivana, they are always the best characters to play, the most fun,” Strong previously told Celebretainment. “I was Sinestro in Green Lantern, which I though was a rather good film, but it didn’t do what they wanted. So I feel like I’ve got unfinished business in the DC world. I played a pretty evil character in that, and he was meant to get even worse in the second one but that never happened, but I think I’m going to get the chance to do that in Shazam!, I hope so.”
Fans will get to see Strong’s latest attempt at being a supervillain, and hopefully find out what happened to the rest of the Council of Eternity, when Shazam! Premieres on April 5, 2019.
