Shazam! will be DCEU’s next major project, starts filming 2018
Warner Bros. Studios and New Line Cinemas will start filming Shazam! early next year ahead of The Flash and Batgirl with a projected 2019 release.
Reports confirmed that the studio has settled on Shazam! as the next addition to the DCEU. Filming begins in either January or February of next year with David F. Sandberg rumored to direct.The Flash was supposed to be filming if not already in post production, but Dope director Rick Famuyiwa dropped the project after creative differences. Suicide Squad 2 is still slated for a 2018 release, and Aquaman is currently in post production with a scheduled release date, so the DC Sandpaper Universe (because it’s so gritty) won’t be short on new entries.
So who is Shazam anyway? Formerly Captain Marvel, Shazam became part of DC’s stable in 1970s after a lengthy court case. Shazam’s comics outsold everyone else’s, even Superman’s in the 1940s and 1950s. DC claimed that Shazam was too similar to Superman and brought litigation against Fawcett Comics, Shazam’s original license holder.
Shazam is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a homeless newsboy. Billy says the magic words and turns into Shazam, a super-powered adult with great hair. He gains super strength, speed, intelligence, and the ability to fly. It’s no wonder DC sued. Fawcett was doing Superman better than DC. It’s unsure how Billy will get his powers in the film, but in the comics he gets them from a wizard in the subway.
The character will likely be called Captain Marvel in the sandpaper universe as Shazam is an acronym. Through the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and speed of Mercury, Billy has the power to kick serious butt. So, S.H.A.Z.A.M. becomes the magic word.
Captain Marvel’s main antagonist is Black Adam. He’s more of an anti-hero these days, but he started out as an ancient Egyptian Captain Marvel who turned evil. Very comic book. Dwyane Johnson has been slated to play Black Adam since forever, but don’t expect to see him in the film. Instead, the studio is looking to do a Black Adam standalone and have the two duke it out in a future third film.