‘Shazam!’: Zachary Levi Describes Film As ‘Big’ With Superpowers

The DC Extended Universe will continue to expand after Justice League hits theaters and Shazam! will be one of the new additions to the cinematic universe – with Zachary Levi in the titular role. In an interview with KTLA 5, Levi discussed his excitement for the project and compared the film to the Tom Hanks comedy Big.

Levi expressed his appreciation for being able to play a superhero in a major franchise:

“I’m honored and greatly humbled to be a part of it. It’s insane. These superhero roles, they come around very seldom and to be somebody who’s blessed enough to get to pull that brass ring and to go have a franchise, a tentpole, it’s insane.”

When asked if signing on for multiple projects was a daunting commitment, Levi explained:

“It’s just one of those things where you can’t look at that as being a bad thing. If you’re looking at that as a bad thing, then you need to go do a lot more therapy.”

While discussing his workout plan to prepare for his role as the DC Comics hero, Levi explained that the hope is for the film to be reminiscent of Big, the Tom Hanks comedy which also told the story of a child who is magically transformed into an adult:

Most tellings of the comic book story depict Billy Batson as an orphan child who is granted the ability to become an adult hero with godlike powers by an ancient Wizard.

Directed by David F. Sandberg from a script written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemk, Shazam! stars Zachary Levi and Asher Angel with Annabelle: Creation‘s Grace Fulton set to join the cast and Mark Strong in talks play the villain Doctor Sivana. Scheduled to begin filming in February, Shazam! will be a New Line Cinema production that will be produced in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment.

Shazam! is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on April 5, 2019.

Source: KTLA 5