Zachary Levi has announced that he is playing the titular role in the superhero film "Shazam!"
Levi, who stars as Fandral in the upcoming Marvel film "Thor: Ragnarok," has revealed via Instagram that he is playing the main protagonist in the DC superhero film.
In the post, he talked about how honored and humbled he is to be a part of the DC universe by "bringing the original Captain Marvel to life." Some said this line was also a shout-out to Marvel, which is releasing its own "Captain Marvel" film in 2019.
The battle for the superhero title goes a long way back. In the 1940s, Captain Marvel was a popular character from Fawcett Comics' Whiz Comics. It was so famous that it even outsold National Comics' (now DC Comics) "Superman."
In 1953, National hit Fawcett with a copyright infringement suit, claiming that their superhero was a copy of "Superman." This forced the closure of all "Captain Marvel" comics. Fast forward to 1972, DC ended up licensing the title from Fawcett, but by that time, Marvel already had its own Captain Marvel character, forcing DC to change their hero's name to Shazam.
Shazam is the word that young Billy Batson utters to change into the adult superhero. It is an acronym for various gods and historical figures whose heroic attributes Shazam imitates — Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.
"Annabelle: Creation" director David F. Sandberg is helming "Shazam!" with a screenplay from Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Sandberg earlier announced that the film will be a "departure" from other DC films and that it will take a more lighthearted tone.
Levi is most popularly known for his titular role in the spy comedy series "Chuck," which aired from 2007 to 2012. No word yet on who will play the role of young Billy Batson.
"Shazam!" hits theaters in April 2019, just a month after the release of "Captain Marvel."
