'Shazam!' Punches Through Concrete In New Photo

A new promo photo shows Shazam punching through a concrete beam with a big grin on his face.The [...]

By Michael Hein

A new promo photo shows Shazam punching through a concrete beam with a big grin on his face.

The picture comes from Entertainment Weekly's new comic con special issue. It features Zachary Levi standing by a pillar with a fist-sized hole in it, and dust all over his hand. He wears the half-giddy, half-surprised grin of a boy in a superhero's body.


"New kid on the block," the promo reads.

The latest issue of EW features many shots of Levi in costume. He brings that signature smile to every photo, making it clear that he's playing Billy Batson as well as Shazam. His costume is a bright, vibrant red, and the lightning bold on his chest even glows with the kind of magic that would have looked out of place in any of the DCEU movies so far.

In addition, many of the pictures feature Jack Dylan Grazer in his role as Freddy Freeman, an interesting choice to sell a movie about a hero with powers that rival those of Superman. Rather than promising massive fights and explosions, the movie appears to be anchored in the perspective of children, as Bill and Freddy gulp soda outside of a convenience store.

It's clear that director David Sandberg and the rest of the team working on Shazam are making a conscious effort to re-orient the DC films. Many fans have been disappointed in the dark, edgy takes of Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and these new promos seem stand in direct opposition to that.
Sandberg told EW about the film, confirming that he himself is a massive Shazam fan, and always has been.

"I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that's something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman," he said, referring to the costume. "It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I'm going for."

Shazam is currently scheduled to hit theaters on April 5, 2019, but fans may not have to wait that long to see more. Rumors suggest that Warner Bros. will show some footage from the production during the company's presentation in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. Speculators also think the studio will unveil at least a little bit of footage from the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984.

Either way, the presentation will definitely include the first trailer for Aquaman, which is heading to theaters on Dec. 21. Shazam and Wonder Woman 1984 come after that, followed by a film adaptation of Flashpoint, one of DC's most beloved crossover stories of all time.

2comments
Comments ( 2 )

of