Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson To Play Shazam in Batman v Superman?
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- July 23, 2014
Another day, another actor is rumored to play a DC Comics superhero in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. So far we have Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Aquaman rumored to have a part in this film, and now we can add another name to that list.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has long been rumored to be in negotiations for a DC Comics role. Fans have long suspected that he would be playing Lobo or Green Lantern, but it turns out he may be playing a different role altogether.
While chatting with Total Film about his upcoming film Hercules, Johnson teased that DC Comics are set to make a big announcement soon — most likely during Comic-Con. Here’s what he told TF:
I will say this. There's a character out there that we're going to announce very soon that I'm going to play, and I'll just say this… this character has the power of Superman, he can throw down. Just say the word. That's all I'm going to say.
“Just say the word…” Hrm… sounds like Shazam to me.
In the Shazam comics, a young boy named Billy Batson learns he is chosen to become a magical champion originally known as Captain Marvel, who was then renamed Shazam.
In order for Baston to become this champion, he has to yell “Shazam!,” at which point he’s struck by lightning and becomes this magical champion with super-human strength and, yes, the ability to fly.
Seems pretty consistent with what he teased. Obviously, this brings up some interesting points, first of which is, how close will film Shazam reflect his comic book origin?
If they stay true to the comic, then Warner Bros. will need to go with another round of casting in order to cast Billy as a young boy. Johnson will also need to play the character with the mind of a kid, which will contrast nicely with the brooding Superman we were introduced to in Man of Steel.
Personally, I’m not sure how Zack Snyder plans to integrate Shazam into the DC Comics film universe. So far, it seems that Warner Bros. is taking a more serious stance to their integrated universe than Marvel Studios has. Having a young boy who can magically turn into a muscle bound superhero feels at odds with the gritty universe they’re building.
With that in mind, and with how many liberties they took with last year’s Superman film, I wouldn’t be surprised if Snyder and the creative team behind Dawn of Justice make a radical departure from the Shazam origin story.
Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice opens May 6, 2016, still against Captain America 3.
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