New Shazam Poster Doubles Down On Goofiness
If you're ready for a hilariously fun entry in the DC Extended Universe, just say the word.
Warner Brothers has released a new one-sheet for Shazam!, and it's every bit as lighthearted as the amazing trailer that was released back in July. The forthcoming flick will mark the seventh effort for the DCEU, and it promises even more of a shift in tone than what we've seen so far.
The new poster features the titular character (Zachary Levi) striking a pose completely appropriate for a teenager inhabiting the body of a chiseled superhero, leaning nonchalantly as he blows a bubble and surfs on his smartphone. Collider, currently covering the goings-on down at Brazil Comic Con, was first to report the news.
The earlier films of the DCEU — in particular, 2013's Man of Steel and 2016's Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice — drew widespread criticism for their grim and mirthless tone, the result of a rumored corporate mandate aimed at setting DC's movies apart from those of wildly successful rival Marvel Studios. 2016's Suicide Squad famously attempted to divert such criticism with a round of reshoots intended to add some levity to the proceedings, which led to a tonal mishmash of a film that struck out with critics while still raking in the big box office bucks.
Last year's Wonder Woman largely sidestepped such gripes by virtue of being a very good film, but the course-correction away from stone-faced seriousness and toward a more humorous tone was evident in this year's Justice League (which, nevertheless, underperformed severely at the box office) and looks to be continuing with the impending Aquaman, which advance reviews have described as "a big, fun, wild ride," and DC's best effort since The Dark Knight. With Shazam!, that pendulum appears to have swung all the way over to the comedic side of the spectrum, promising more laughs than we've yet seen in a superhero film that doesn't have Ant-Man or Deadpool in the title.
In addition to Levi, the film stars Asher Angel as the hero's 14-year old alter ego Billy Batson, and Mark Strong as the villainous Doctor Sivana. Here's the official synopsis: "We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Angel) case, by shouting out one word — SHAZAM! — this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart — inside a ripped, godlike body — Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong)."
The aforementioned trailer promises an appealingly goofy turn from Levi, along with the requisite amount of butt-kicking superpowered action. The DCEU may have had a false start or two (or three), but with these newer entries being increasingly willing to offer audiences rollicking good times instead of heavy-handed morality plays, it looks to be finally finding its footing.
Shazam! is being directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle: Creation) from a script by sophomore scribe Henry Gayden (Earth to Echo). The flick is slated to hit the big screen on April 5, 2019; check out the new poster below.
