New Line and director David F. Sandberg have found Earth’s mightiest mortal in Zachary Levi.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zachary Levy will be taking on the main role of DC comic book’s adaptation of Shazam!. The story of Shazam! is about a boy named Billy Batson, who can transform into an adult superhero by uttering the magic word “Shazam!”
After his first feature Light’s Out in 2016, followed by the incredible success of Annabelle: Creation, the latest entry in The Conjuring films, the studio is high on Sandberg and sees him as a homegrown talent.
Sandberg is directing Shazam! from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Annabelle: Creation producer Peter Safran is reuniting with Sandberg for the film, and is also producing DC’s Aquaman for Warner Bros.
Although Levi is known primarily for comedic roles, such as the NBC’s hit spy-comedy series Chuck from 2007-2012, he also carries some superhero credentials. He can be seen next week in Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok as Fandral, one of Thor’s companions, and recently appeared in NBC’s Heroes Reborn.
Other actors who were being considered during the last few months were John Cena, Billy Magnussen, and Jake McDorman, the star of TV’s Limitless.
Heat Vision first reported in July that Shazam! will be the next DC Cinematic Universe movie to film, ahead of the Flashpoint, Joss Whedon’s Batgirl and the Suicide Squad sequel, which recently attached Accountant director Gavin O’Connor. No release date for Shazam! is set but New Line is eying a February 2018 start in Toronto.
The film is being developed concurrently with a film focusing on Shazam villain Black Adam to star Dwayne Johnson.
