The cast of "Shazam" is shaping up magically, as the actor for the child alter ego of the wizard superhero is revealed to be Disney child star, Asher Angel.
Angel, popularly known as the protagonist's love interest on the Disney show "Andi Mack," will be playing Billy Batson, the kid who obtained magical superpowers from a wizard, allowing him to transform into the adult superhero Shazam by just shouting the name. The child actor will be playing the lead role along with Zachary Levi, who was chosen to portray Shazam.
Angel has had several appearances on television apart from his Disney show and has also had a part in the indie film "On Pointe," which was his first full-feature debut.
Still, the Hollywood role is considered a huge step forward for the child actor, who plays Jonah Beck in the said Disney show. Batson, in the most recent iterations of the "Shazam" comics, is depicted as a flawed and good-hearted orphan. The initial impression people have of the child is that of a delinquent, but he is in fact, a generous and kind kid whose behavior was misshapen by unfortunate circumstances.
It seems that David Sandberg, the director of the upcoming movie adaption, is confident that Angel can do Batson justice on the big screen. He has even taken to Instagram and uploaded a photo of Levi with a picture of Angel, in what seems like a before-and-after parallel.
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Another actor rumored to join the cast of the superhero movie is Mark Strong as the villain Dr. Sivana, a brilliant evil scientist who easily deduced Shazam's dual identity as Batson in the comics. Dr. Sivana is considered to be Shazam's arch-nemesis in the DC universe and hold's the 82nd place in IGN's Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time list. That said, fans may want to hold their breaths, as Strong is still discussing the possibility of the role. "Shazam" is expected to start production and filming early next year, while the movie is set to be released on April 5, 2019.
