DC’s latest installment to its cinematic universe, Shazam! starring Zachary Levi as the magical superhero managed $53.5 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
Overall, Shazam! has received high praise for its heart and humor and earned itself an “A” CinemaScore, becoming the second film in the DCEU to earn such a high rating since Wonder Woman in 2017. Including Fandango’s early access screenings, the film has earned a domestic total of $56.8 million. But compared to the opening weekends of the rest of the franchise, the relatively smaller superhero film led by Zachary Levi — which has been said to have been budgeted around $80-90 million — actually falls in last place behind the domestic debuts of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166M), Suicide Squad ($133.6M), Man of Steel ($116.6M), Wonder Woman ($103.2M), Justice League ($93.8M), and the recent Aquaman ($67.8)
Shazam! follows a teenager named Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who has the ability to transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) with the power of six mythological gods after saying the word “Shazam,” as he goes up against the villainous Doctor Sivana (Mark Strong).
Did you enjoy Zachary Levi in Shazam!? What hopes do you have for a sequel? Let us know in the comments below!
Shazam is a DC Comics character who first debuted in 1939 with the original name of Captain Marvel. Created by C.C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character was first published by Fawcett Comics. Shazam himself is the alter-ego of the aforementioned teenage Billy Batson who has the ability to say the word “Shazam,” and transform into an adult superhero with the power of six mythological gods after saying the word.
David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) has directed Shazam! from a script written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Shazam! has been produced by New Line Cinema in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. Peter Safran produced the film along with Dwayne Johnson, Christopher Godsick, Jeffrey Chernov, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia serving as executive producers.
Shazam! stars Asher Angel, Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans and Djimon Hounsou. Here’s the official synopsis for DC’s Shazam!:
“We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Asher Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).”
Shazam! is now playing, and will be followed by Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020. A standalone Joker film set outside of the DC Films universe starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime is also set to hit theaters October 4, 2019.
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it's a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he's no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we're officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves' The Batman and now everyone's attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that's around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he's one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes' arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he'd love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I've said this before and I'll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I've always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he's done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio's best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c'mon, the guy's look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller's Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn't deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He's charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he's young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
