Adam Brody says his surprise Shazam! cameo helped to change his career. Although he has kept busy since his breakout performance as Seth Cohen in the teen drama The O.C., building up a diverse list of credit across film and television, Brody turned heads when he showed up as a superhero in David F. Sandberg’s hit comic book adaptation.
Brody appears near the end of Shazam!, when Billy Baston realizes his adult form won’t be enough to save the day against an onslaught of villains. In a pinch, he turns to his foster siblings and offers them the chance to transform into their grown heroic selves. Freddy (played by Jack Dylan Grazer) evolves into his older self (Brody). The moment is poignant and uplifting. To many moviegoers, it also served as their reintroduction to the actor.
While promoting his new movie The Kid Detective, Brody spoke with The Ringer. He was asked about his buzzy cameo in Shazam! and admitted that, along with his memorable supporting turn in Ready or Not, the DCEU film helped to change his career. “Shazam! was certainly the most visible thing I’ve done in a long time,” Brody noted. He added that it was heartening to see that audiences had such a positive reaction to his portrayal of the adult Freddy, elaborating on the ways in which the surprise appearance opened doors for his career.
“It’s been nice. I do feel like maybe I have a little more heat because of it. We’ll see what that happens. I mean, I think if Shazam! and Ready or Not didn’t exist, Kid Detective might not have.”
Brody’s assessment about the fate of his latest project makes sense. The Kid Detective has been in the works since 2012, but it was only officially announced in August of last year, after Brody’s appearance in Shazam!. That quick turnaround speaks to how well the superhero movie was received. But it also indicates, specifically, that Brody left a positive impression during his limited screen time. In part, this comes down to the fact that the actor was an inspired choice to play the grown-up Freddy. Particularly in the early going of Shazam!, Grazer perfectly encapsulated the mannerisms and speech patterns of Brody back during his days on The O.C.. This was noted by many fans, making the third act twist all the more satisfying.
Brody will return for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which plans to start filming in 2021. Like the rest of the cast, he’s been tight-lipped about plot developments regarding the sequel. Because of this, it’s unclear whether the adult performers will have a more expanded role in the second installment of the popular franchise. In the comics, there have been stories where Billy becomes separate and apart from his superpowered alter-ego. Using this as a basis, the large ensemble of Shazam! could share the screen. It would also help to alleviate the fact that the young actors, including Grazer, will be considerably older when the sequel starts shooting.
Regardless of Brody’s future in the DCEU, it’s a positive that the cameo helped to fuel The O.C. alum’s recent resurgence. At one point, during the height of his visibility in the late 2000s, the actor was set to portray The Flash in George Miller’s take on Justice League. The project never moved forward, partly because of financial considerations, and Brody has said that it hurt to miss out on the opportunity. Still, he’s managed to enter the superhero realm thanks to Shazam!. And he’s left quite the mark.
Source: The Ringer
