'Shazam!': Mark Strong Compares the Approaches to Hero and Villain Costumes

The magic that provides power for Shazam in the forthcoming movie Shazam! is responsive to the will of the user, meaning that different characters will come out with different powers and different looks.

As far as appearances go, you can most clearly see that in the way the costume department outfitted Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) and Shazam (Zachary Levi).

"It's interesting how they view what's happening to them now that they've got power," Strong told reporters during a visit to the set of Shazam! last year. "For example, the Shazam suit is really an incarnation of a superhero suit as seen by a 13, 14 year old boy. That's the idea. It's a little bit garish, a little bit bright, but you know, that's how he imagines it."

That sentiment was echoed by costume designer Leah Butler, who admitted that Billy's costume was, at least in part, a manifestation of what a kid growing up in the DC Universe would picture as a hero with great power. Subconsciously, Billy likely borrowed from Superman.

"I think that's a great analogy or way of stating that," Butler said. "It's so funny because it really is sort of the little boy who becomes a superhero and his strength and he's got all of these things within the acronym and really to show that and I love the idea that he's manifested that inside of him. And Zach, I would say kind of plays it so well. Sometimes I watch I'm just blown away at the way his naivety comes out."

As for Strong's own costume as Sivana? Well, think a little authoritarian, a little Lex Luthor.

"You've seen Sivana's costume? Is that what he thinks is evil incarnate?" Strong explained. "He's chosen something, a long sort of Nazi-like long leather coat with a fur collar, you know, and a pair of dark sunglasses, because I suppose, as he gets that evil power, this is how he chooses to manifest himself in the way that he looks."

If you want to learn more about we recently learned during an exclusive preview of Shazam! held for press, be sure to listen to our full breakdown on the ComicBook Nation podcast. You can listen to that, below:

The DC Movie Universe continues with Aquaman, in theaters now. Shazam hits theaters on April 5th, Joker on October 4th, Birds of Prey on February 7th, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5th, 2020, and The Batman on June 25th, 2021.