DCEU is in an excellent shape right now after Wonder Woman proved to be a hit at the box-office and it will make things a lot brighter for future if Justice League turns out to be the blockbuster that everyone anticipates it to be. The next DCEU film entering production is Shazam, and the pre-production work has been initiated.
However, the biggest question is still unanswered as we don’t yet know who is going to play Shazam in the film? As per reports, John Cena and Joshua Sasse are leading the pack of contenders.
It was reported by That Hashtag Show that these two are leading the contest for the role. This role will have two actors in place. The younger version of Shazam will be seen as Billy Batson and the grown up heroic role of Shazam will feature either Cena or Sasse after Batson becomes the superhero by saying, ‘Shazam.’
This report also suggested that the current narrative is the first cut of the film’s synopsis and might not be the final one on which the film is going to be based. You can read the synopsis provided by That Hashtag Show below:
“Based on the DC Comics character Shazam! Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, the world’s mightiest mortal when he says the magic word ‘Shazam!’ The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes. The wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury.”
The two actors mentioned above are good fits physically to play the role, but, their profiles are quite different from each other. Wrestler turned actor Cena’s career graph is on the rise with films like Trainwreck and Sisters, but, he is yet to take on the mantle of a major film. He does have a lead role in upcoming Bumblebee Transformers spin-off, but, that’s not yet released. On the other hand, Joshua Sasse might not have the physique of a wrestler, but, the Galavant star has been around in Hollywood longer and has stronger acting credentials. While the cast is yet to be finalized, you can read below about the character details of Billy Batson:
“Male, 12-15 years old. A teenager who becomes Captain Marvel, the world’s mightiest mortal. Granted access to incredible powers by the wizard Shazam, he speaks the wizard’s name and is struck by a lightning bolt that gives him the powers of the gods.”
We believe that whoever is chosen to play Billy Batson will make a major impact on the selection of Shazam. The film is under pre-production work under director David F. Sandberg is likely to begin shooting in February 2018. It is however confirmed that Dwayne Johnson will not reprise his character of Black Adam to which he has been attached for many years. By the looks of it, things are falling into place, and Shazam is well set to have a cinematic release on April 5, 2019.
