Shazam! Has Finally Returned to HBO Max

HBO Max has been in the streaming service world for over a year now, and its rotating array of [...]

By Jenna Anderson

HBO Max has been in the streaming service world for over a year now, and its rotating array of movies and television shows has definitely appealed to fans. This includes a number of programs inspired by DC Comics characters — and it looks like one of the franchise's newest entries has returned to the service. As of Tuesday, June 1st, Shazam! is now officially available to stream on HBO Max once again. This means that subscribers can access the film on the service for the first time since March, when it first left the service.

Shazam! follows Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a streetwise foster kid who, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!— can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou). Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).

"Some people in the studio were sort of wary about it while others were like, 'Yeah, go for it. Do the horror!'" Shazam! director David F. Sandberg explained in an interview with ComicBook.com last year. "This is a New Line movie and they're used to horror, so that wasn't really a problem. It was just like, yeah, making sure that you don't go too far. But they were very open to have a little bit of that, which I love it. It just makes the movie feel more complete when you have real stakes."

This comes as production is now underway on the film's long-awaited sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The film is expected to see the return of Angel, Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Grace Fulton, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D.J. Cotrona, Meagan Good, and Michelle Borth). New cast members will include Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler.

"I can't really talk about villains or villain, but I think a lot of people will be surprised," Sandberg previously said during a Q&A as part of DC FanDome last year. "It's gonna be a little unexpected."

Are you happy to see that Shazam! is back on HBO Max? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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