The trailers for Shazam! reveal that a number of the movie's key moments have been taken directly from the comic books. While superhero movies replicating visuals from their source material is not uncommon, the degree of accuracy to which Shazam! is recreating that look based on what has been seen so far is truly astonishing. This suggests that the upcoming movie about The Big Red Cheese may be DC Films' finest movie to date.
From the first moment Shazam! was announced, director David F. Sandberg has been committed to remaining true to the tone and visualization of the comics. The movie is said to be largely based on the 2013 revamp of Shazam, which modernized the character of Billy Batson by making him into a foster child rather than an orphan to better reflect the reality of abandoned children in 21st century America. The revamp also officially changed the name of Billy Batson's superhero persona to Shazam from the original Captain Marvel, due to Marvel Comics now owning the copyright on the name and most people calling the hero Shazam anyway. Though the movie is taking some liberties with the original story, like making longtime Shazam! villain Dr. Sivana into more of a physical powerhouse, what has been seen so far indicates an unmatched sense of fidelity to the modern Shazam! comics by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
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From the first Shazam! trailer at SDCC 2018 to the final trailer, everything revealed so far about Shazam! has both devout fans and newcomers excited about the upcoming movie. Sporting a spirit of fun that stands in contrast to the more dour movies comprising the DC Extended Universe to date, some say that Shazam! could be poised to redefine how DC Films proceeds with its productions. While the Shazam! movie itself will feature lots of comic moments, the Shazam! trailers are already leading the way on that front.
8. Dr. Sivana's Design
Some say that heroes are defined by their villains and that a hero needs a worthy foe to achieve true greatness. Perhaps that philosophy was kept in mind when one of the greatness villain actors alive today was cast to play Shazam's chief bad guy, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Mark Strong, who previously played Sinestro in the Green Lantern movie, is a dead ringer for the version of Dr. Sivana designed by artist Gary Frank. Looking at Frank's original artwork and comparing it to the images of Strong with his glowing eye, it's hard to believe that Frank didn't have Strong in mind when he was first designing and illustrating the character. The resemblance is striking and indeed frightening, as Dr. Sivana should be.
7. Billy Saving Freddy From The Bullies
One of Billy Batson's defining traits in the 2013 revamp comics is that he while he is cynical about people who say they just want to help him, he does have a noble streak that manifests in his hatred of bullies. In the comics, this was revealed when Billy, who had been trying to ignore his new foster siblings and their efforts to be nice to him on his first day at a new school, steps in to defend them from a group of spoiled rich kids. The fight depicted in the trailer is more limited in scope, with Billy only acting to defend Freddy Freeman rather than the entire family. The trailer also shows Billy using one of Freddy's crutches as an impromptu staff, whereas in the comics he only used his bare hands to cut the bullies down to size.
6. Billy Escapes Into The Subway
The Shazam! trailer goes on to show Billy making his escape from the bullies by running into a subway station. Billy is just barely able to hop on the train before the doors close, unknowingly starting the journey that will lead him to his faithful encounter with the wizard Shazam. Visually, this moment is captured perfectly from the 2013 comics, though Billy's escape there came after a second encounter with the bullies after the first time he defended his new family. Billy also doesn't get away completely unharmed, as one bully does manage to punch Billy in the face and knock him down before the doors close.
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5. The Magic Mirror
When Billy first exits the subway car and enters the lair of the wizard Shazam in the first trailer, we see a full-length mirror in the cave entrance. In the comics, Billy passes a similar mirror, plus several other apparently magical artifacts, as he travels deeper into the cave, discovering a vast underground complex dug out into the rock. The spirit within the mirror, whose name is Francesca, appears to Billy later and explains something of the nature of magic and how certain aspects of it - such as her presence - can only be perceived by one who is tethered to the world of magic. It remains to be seen if Francesca will have a role to play in the Shazam! movie.
Page 2 of 2: Even More Comic Book Moments In Shazam!'s Trailers
4. The Rock of Eternity and The Wizard
The entirety of the Rock of Eternity set and the statues depicting the Seven Deadly Enemies of Men are taken straight from the classic Captain Marvel comics of the 1940s. In the 2013 revamp, part of DC's New 52 reboot, rather than having statues, the Seven Deadly Sins were depicted through a series of magical holograms. Otherwise the design is true to the form seen in the Shazam! revamp comics. The appearance of the wizard Shazam (played by Djimon Hounsou) is also modeled on Gary Frank's designs and brought to life with amazing accuracy. This further emphasizes Sandberg and DC Films' hopes to adapt not only DC's version of Shazam but the classic version of the character as well. That's why Sivana was chosen as the villain.
3. Billy And Freddy Break An ATM
Freddy Freeman is the first person Billy reveals his superpowers to in both the comics and the trailer. In both instances, the two teens immediately start trying to find ways to profit from Billy's empowerment (after first testing out what Billy's powers are, of course). This leads to Freddy suggesting that Billy try and use his magic to get an ATM to pay out. In both instances, Billy is unable to stop the machine from spitting out a shower of dollar bills once it starts. Perhaps they'll use some of that money to buy the beer and snacks they've been wanting.
2. Billy And Freddy Stop A Convenience Store Robbery
Perhaps the greatest moment of the first trailer came when two unfortunate criminals try and rob a convenience store while Billy and Freddy are inside of it, trying to decide what brand they should buy after hitting upon the idea of using Billy's older alter ego to buy some beer. It is here that Billy discovers that he is bulletproof and makes quick work of the crooks. The scene plays out similarly in the comics, though Billy just knocks out a single robber from behind and doesn't throw anyone through a window. The robber also never gets a chance to fire his gun in the comics. Both scenes still end with the same payoff - Billy accepting as much soda and junk food as he and Freddy can carry off as a reward for his good deed.
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1. The Villain Catches Billy's Punch
While Billy starts off thinking that his new powers make him completely invincible, he learns the truth the hard way after his first encounter with a supervillain. In the comics, Billy is shocked when his best punch is easily caught by an enraged Black Adam. The same thing happens in the first Shazam! trailer, with Dr. Sivana catching Billy's fist the first time Shazam confronts the mad scientist. The only difference is that the comic shows the catch from Billy's point-of-view, whereas the movie trailer shows us Zachary Levi's face so that audiences can see Billy's response to the revelation that someone else is as strong as he is.
