The World’s Mightiest Mortal is getting his first big-budget movie, but Dwayne Johnson won’t be in it.
Shazam will be shooting early next year, according to reports. The movie is to begin filming in February 2018. However, Johnson is not going to appear as Black Adam.
Geoff Johns, DC’s chief creative officer, confirms that the Fast & Furious actor will sit this one out. The reason is due to the upcoming Black Adam film.
“We haven’t announced any casting yet,” Johns says in an interview. “But Dwayne isn’t going to be in this movie. He’s still doing Black Adam, but he won’t be in Shazam!”
Based on this news, it looks like Johnson’s DCEU debut will be in Black Adam. The plan is to have the former WWE star headline a solo movie, which will set him up as an anti-hero. Johnson is also producing the film with Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Black Adam will then appear with Shazam in future DCEU movies. Whether or not he’ll take on the Justice League remains to be seen.
Who Shazam will face in the first movie is unknown. Since Adam won’t be in it, there is always the possibility of Doctor Sivana. In DC lore, Sivana is a mad scientist and the arch-rival of Shazam. Ironically, it was Sivana who inadvertently gave him the nickname “the Big Red Cheese.” While he mean it as an insult, people use it as a term of affection for Shazam.
Then there’s always the possibility of Mr. Mind. In the comics, Mr. Mind is an alien worm that can control people’s thoughts. The character is a recurring for Shazam over the years. During Jeff Smith’s Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil, he is the main villain of the 2007 miniseries.
Another option is Captain Nazi, a genetically-modified soldier who was built to be the pinnacle of Nazi Germany. He’s also the one who cripples Captain Marvel Jr. in the comics. Don’t know how this would go over well with film audiences, though. Plus, Marvel Studios has done the World War II angle with some villains. Wonder Woman had German villains, but that was set in World War I.
David F. Sandberg is going to direct Shazam. No word yet on who is starring as the World’s Mightiest Mortal in the film. Nor are there any updates on who will play his alter-ego Billy Batson.
DC has Shazam set for a 2019 release.
