Shazam! stars Asher Angel, who plays young Billy Batson, and Zachary Levi, who plays his superhero alter-ego, appeared in a livestream and teased the upcoming lighthearted DC movie. Directed by Annabelle: Creation helmer David F. Sandberg and co-executive produced by Dwayne Johnson (who was originally thought to debut in the film as Black Adam), the movie also stars Mark Strong as its main antagonist, Doctor Sivana.
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. released the official logo for Shazam!, which is the first piece of marketing for the movie. Sandberg and his crew have been shooting the movie in Toronto, Canada for a few weeks now. Specific narrative details are still scarce at the moment, other than the previously released synopsis that offers some insight, but was vague enough that we still don't know what happens in the story. However, with Warner Bros. already allowing an official Q&A, we'll learn more about the film in the following weeks.
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As expected, the two lead stars of Shazam! appeared together for the first time to interact with their fans (they previously posed for a photo during Justice League's premiere) during the EW-hosted Facebook livestream. The two appeared on the set of the film and answered questions sent by fans. They obviously couldn't reveal anything specific but Asher promises it to be a "fun family movie and everyone's gonna wanna watch it," while Levi said "it's Superman meets Big." This is not the first time that the Sandberg-directed flick has been teased as something more lighthearted than its DCEU predecessors, but the filmmaker said that it won't include quippy one-liners.
The word "fun" to describe a DC film doesn't quite sit well with some fans of the franchise, as it's been affiliated with Marvel films. But if this is the best route to tell the story of Shazam! then people don't have to be worried about it because the worst that Warner Bros. can do is force a "darker" and "grittier" take on an IP that is intentionally lighthearted and fun. After all, a 14-year-old morphing into a God-like entity just by saying a magic word is already silly-sounding. The key is to balance out the premise's campiness with some emotional beats, which the film seems to be doing by introducing Billy's family and friends.
Levi and Angel answered a few more fun questions sent by fans, but the main takeaway from the livestream is that we finally get an idea the chemistry between the actors. Considering the duality of Shazam's character, the most significant thing that the film needs to nail is the rapport between the two who technically play the same person, but with different physical bodies and capabilities. Sure, they could fake it when the cameras start rolling, but knowing that they also have funny banter off-air, as seen in the video, definitely helps in selling the film.
It's been a huge week for Shazam! in terms of marketing with the release of the official logo followed by the live (virtual) Q&A. But Warner Bros. still hasn't revealed our first look at the characters in costume. Leaked Shazam! set photos have already provided a glimpse of the suit, but it's difficult to come up with a reaction based on low-quality images. There's been no official confirmation of when we might get the much-anticipated press shots, but it's possible that the studio is saving the reveal for WonderCon this week.
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Source: EW/Facebook
