First Aquaman. Now Shazam! DC showed up to Comic-Con ready to make a statement.
From director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation), Shazam! is another DC Comics film that just got its first trailer released — showing us a film that appears to have a far lighter tone than anything else we’ve seen in this universe.
Shazam! follows young Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who is just a regular teenager moving around to different foster homes.
A regular teenager who meets a powerful wizard (Djimon Hounsou) who gives Billy the power to transform into an adult superhero, that is.
That superhero, played by Zachary Levi, basically has all the same powers as Superman (I’m pretty sure there was a comic run at one point in which Superman and Shazam actually fought) — he has super-strength, the ability to fly and is bulletproof.
Sounds like the Tom Hanks classic Big, right?
It’s a fun concept that definitely lends itself to some fun moments in the trailer — the idea of Billy and his buddy recording what his superpowers can do with a video-camera reminded for Peter’s vlogs in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the cell-phone zapping scene genuinely made me laugh out loud.
That being said, like with Aquaman, I have certain reservations. My problem with DC’s movies was never the tone — I actually like the dark, atmospheric worlds that they can create with their properties. My problem, with their films in the past, has been the writing — i.e. the Martha scene in Batman v. Superman. Changing the tone might appeal to some fan’s wants to the DCEU, but it still doesn’t give me all the confidence in the world that the writing has suddenly fixed itself.
Of course, I’m hoping that Shazam! is actually as fun and entertaining as this trailer makes it out to be, as I want to see more. I want to see more of Billy’s superpowers, more of Mark Strong’s mysterious villain character and more Zachary Levi. Always more Zachary Levi.
Watch the Shazam! trailer here and then let us know, in the comments below, if you’re excited for Shazam!