- We're breaking down the
first official look at Shazam!
Fans of the protector of Fawsett City
just got a fresh jolt of
wizard energy this morning
when Entertainment Weekly
released an official first image
of Shazam from DC's 2019
superhero flick of the same name.
If you are new to the red-and-gold hero,
Shazam was first introduced
in Whiz Comics number two
all the way back in 1939.
As the story goes, a grade-school
kid named Billy Batson
was given mystical powers by
a good wizard named Shazam,
and every time Batson
says the wizard's name,
the kid turns into a full-grown
superhero also named Shazam.
Now we got a few unofficial
sneak peeks of Shazam
from the upcoming film in
the form of leaked set photos
and concept art posted by
the film's star Zachary Levi
on Instagram, but this is
our first official look
at DC's version of the
Tom Hanks movie Big,
but with a superhero.
So, from his insane Dwayne
Johnsonesque shoulder muscles
to the box of delicious generic cola,
there's a lot to unpack here.
But what does this image
of the costume tell us
about Shazam?
From the looks of it, Big
Red's look is a hodgepodge
of different elements from the
character's 75-plus-year run.
While the boots and belt are straight
from the New 52 version of that character
from the early 2010s, the
cape is notably old-school.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly
released earlier today,
the film's director David Sandberg said,
"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."
Sandberg continued, "It
makes feel a bit more like
"a Golden Age superhero, which
is the vibe I'm going for."
Though the cape is a throwback,
it also incorporates the
hood from the New 52 run
because hey, even magic boy-men
don't like to get rained on.
Rounding out the costume, the
photo also features Shazam
wearing the gauntlets from
the 2014 animated film
Justice League War.
And it's also worth noting
that Shazam is ditching his
trademark Golden-Age sash,
which is another choice
from the New 52 run.
Please, nobody tell Shazam
that sashes are actually in this year.
What? Who wears sashes?
In addition to being the
first official look at Shazam,
the pic also features his
best buddy, Freddy Freeman.
In the comics, Freddy is a
teenage friend of Bill Batson
who eventually gets superpowers
from Captain Marvel.
No, not Carol Danvers, the other
Captain Marvel, AKA Shazam.
For those of you unaware, before
Marvel Comics was a thing,
Shazam used to go by the
moniker of Captain Marvel
back in the day.
Obviously, a lot has changed
between 1939 and now.
And as we've said, in the comics,
Freddy becomes a teenage superhero
who goes by the name of Captain Marvel Jr.
Now since the movie is using Shazam
as the name of Billy
Batson's superhero alter ego,
we'll have to wait and see
if Freddy Freeman gets powers
in this movie, and if he does,
will they call him Shazam Jr.
Instead of Captain Marvel Jr?
But back to that EW photo.
The window on the left
side of the pic is broken
and there's shattered glass on the ground,
leading us to ask, "Is this a shot of them
"robbing a convenience store for cola,
"or were they responding
to a robbery in progress?"
By the looks of it, Freddy
and Billy will be using
the adult form of Shazam for
some teenage shenanigans,
like stealing cola.
Now it was also revealed this week
that Djimon Hounsou will be leaping over
from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to DC,
as he was just cast as
the 3,000-year-old wizard
who bequeaths his powers to Billy Batson.
Ironically enough, we've heard
that he would also reprise
his Guardians of the
Galaxy character Korath
for Brie Larson's Captain Marvel,
which means he is
literally in two separate
Captain Marvel movies next year.
Just a fun little tidbit for ya.
So what's all this mean?
With the combo of the
official image released
plus this casting news,
it probably means that
we'll be getting a Shazam!
trailer at San Diego Comic Con.
Hopefully, we'll find out whether drinking
all of that delicious generic
cola was worth committing
a burglary.
But what do you folks think?
Are you excited to see Shazam?
Do you like the look of his costume?
And do you think Shazam's
costume is black and blue
or red and gold?
Oh, it's not dead yet.
Let's discuss.
