Shazam! (2019)

Shazam! is an American feature film of the family comedy and superhero fantasy genres. It is based on the character of Billy Batson, who is USUALLY known as Captain Marvel, as seen in comic books published by DC Comics. This is the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe film series, even though it is tonally different from its predecessors. The movie was directed by David F. Sandberg with a screenplay written by Henry Gayden based on a story treatment by Gayden and Darren Lemke. It stars Zachary Levi in the role of the multi-named featured hero, with Asher Angel playing his younger counterpart, Billy Batson. Co-starring in the movie is Mark Strong as the main antagonist, Doctor Thaddeus Sivana, with Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez, and Djimon Hounshou as the wizard Shazam. The movie premiered theatrically in the United States on April 5th, 2019.

Notes & Trivia

 * Shazam (2019) redirects to this page.


 * This is the seventh film in the DC Extended Universe film series and follows 2018's Aquaman.


 * Production on Shazam! began on January 29th, 2018. Principal shooting concluded on May 11th, 2018.


 * One of the original working titles for this movie was Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam!.


 * Shazam! grossed $67,825,000 on its opening night, including special screenings.


 * The principal setting for this film is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Classically, the comic book versions of these characters resided in the fictional locale of Fawcett City. The school that Billy and Freddy attend in this movie is called Fawcett Central. The name is taken from Fawcett Comics, which published the original Captain Marvel line of comic books.


 * In the comics, Billy Batson's super-hero alter ego is named Captain Marvel. The name itself is co-owned by both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. The name is not used in the film because of the earlier Marvel Studios production, Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson.

Fun facts

 * Billy Batson's biological father is identified as C.C. Batson in this film. The character is named for C.C. Beck, who is the creator of Captain Marvel and Shazam.


 * The doll from the Annabelle film series can be seen in the bottom left corner of the screen in the scene where the Philadelphia police officers enter the pawn shop. Producer Peter Safran worked on both Annabelle and its prequel film Annabelle: Creation, as well as Aquaman. Actress Grace Fulton played Carol in Annabelle: Creation. She plays Mary Bromfield in ''Shazam!"


 * Actor Djimon Hounsou appears in both this movie as well as Captain Marvel. In this movie, he plays the wizard Shazam. In Captain Marvel he plays Korath.


 * In this film, actor John Glover plays the CEO of a major company, who has a son who grows up to become a bald criminal mastermind. On the CW Network television series Smallville, John Glover played the CEO of a major company, who had a son who grew up to become a bald criminal mastermind.


 * Dwayne Johnson is a producer on this movie. Johnson's name has been bandied about as a possible casting choice for Captain Marvel, and was later in talks to play the villain Black Adam, either in this film, or in a potential sequel. Black Adam does not appear in this movie, though his existence is alluded to.


 * Prior to being a major motion picture, Shazam! was a live-action children's television series that aired on CBS from 1974 to 1977. Actors Jackson Bostwick, and later, John Davey played the role of Captain Marvel, with Michael Gray playing the role of teenager Billy Batson.


 * Superman makes a cameo appearance (from the chest down) at the very end of this film. Originally, Henry Cavill was rumored to play the role of Superman for this project, but had since parted company with the DC Extended Universe cast line-up.

Bonus scenes

 * Mid-credit scene: There is a mid-credit scene featureing Thaddeus Sivana in prison where he has been driven insane and is obsessively drawing symbols on the walls of his cell. The mysterious talking caterpillar, Mister Mind, begins speaking to him from a window sill.


 * End-credit scene: An after-credit scenes shows heroic Billy Batson talking to Freddy Freeman about the oddity of a superhero who can talk to fish, which is a reference to Aquaman. Freeman is wearing an Aquaman t-shirt in the film.

"My name is..."

 * The name Shazam is actually an acronym representing each of the six elders that Billy Batson draws power from.
 * Solomon
 * Hercules
 * Atlas
 * Zeus
 * Achilles
 * Mercury

Recommendations

 * Aquaman
 * Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
 * Justice League


 * Man of Steel
 * Suicide Squad
 * Wonder Woman