While he is best known for directing horror films such as Lights Out and the upcoming Annabelle: Creation, Shazam! director David F. Sandberg considers himself a good fit for the upcoming lighthearted addition to the DCEU and has been proving it, teasing fans on Twitter by trolling them with a “first-look” at the script.
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Now Sandberg is tantalizing fans again, this time telling Entertainment Tonight that casting announcements for Shazam! are coming “hopefully soon.”
There are presently very few confirmed details about the upcoming movie that will tell the story Billy Batson, a boy given the power to transform into the adult superhero Captain Marvel, also known as Shazam, by uttering the magical word “shazam.” Dwayne Johnson had previously said that he would be playing the film’s villain, Black Adam, but DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns later clarified that while Johnson would be playing Black Adam, it wouldn’t be for Shazam!
“We haven’t announced any casting yet, but Dwayne isn’t going to be in this movie. He’s still doing Black Adam, but he won’t be in Shazam!” Johns told Yahoo.
Other casting rumors have included Armie Hammer as Billy Batson, but no official announcements have yet been made.
The film is intended to be an origin story for the character, considering that many moviegoers and even Sandberg himself aren’t as familiar with Billy Batson. Despite this, Sandberg is excited to be bringing the character to the DCEU.
“To be honest, it was not a superhero I grew up with either. When I grew up in Sweden, there wasn’t a lot of Shazam around. So, it’s someone who I’ve learned to love later in life as well, so I can relate to [people who are] new to Shazam,” Sandberg said. “I think [it] might be a good thing that I’m doing it, because I know what you need to learn.”
