While Aquaman is currently flooding box offices with ticket sales, DC Comics and Warner Bros. are already prepping for their next superhero film to hit, with Shazam! premiering in theaters in April.
New photos from Shazam! are starting to hit online, with the newest showing off Mark Strong‘s latest villainous turn as the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Take a look below:
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Dr. Sivana is one of the major antagonists for DC Comics’ Captain Marvel, alongside Mister Mind and the evil counterpart Black Adam. While Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is slated to play Black Adam in a future film project, Strong will tee up Shazam! in the upcoming movie.
Strong spoke about his role last year during an interview with Celebretainment.
“I’m playing an evil bastard called Doctor Sivana, they are always the best characters to play, the most fun,” said Strong. “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.”
The filmmakers behind Shazam! have long touted the movie’s influences, which take from the wells of the original Superman as well as Tom Hanks’ ’80s classic Big.
Actor Zachary Levi, who plays Shazam!‘s titular hero, spoke about his role in the film with USA Today.
“I’ve always been drawn to characters with big hearts, or they’re drawn to me,” said Levi. “At some point, we all thought, ‘If I just believe hard enough, then I can fly or run across the water or read somebody’s thoughts.’ This is a kid getting to live out those dreams. It’s a tale as old as time but of all the superhero movies, it has yet to be told.”
The trailer for Shazam! definitely carries the vibe of wish fulfillment, and the star accurately channels the sense of wonder that goes along with it.
We’ll see if the movie lives up to the hype when Shazam! premieres in theaters on April 5th.
