DC's Shazam! had a big weekend in Brazil, and it got pretty emotional for Zachary Levi. New footage played at CCXP, and Levi connected with some young fans who presented him with fan art. It sounded like a blast, but also quite touching. The build-up to Comic-Con started with the debut of the poster, showing Levi's Shazam acting very much like the teenager he really is:
The DCEU film follows teen orphan Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who can magically transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi) by saying the word "Shazam!" Zachary Levi attended the Brazil Comic-Con panel, and Collider said his energy was infectious as he talked about how lucky he was to land the role, and how excited fans should be about the movie.
The footage WB showed has yet to be released online, but Collider said they showed a scene set shortly after Billy had gotten his powers. Mark Strong's character, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, approaches Shazam and says he wants his powers. Shazam doesn't realize Sivana also has superpowers, so he's unprepared when Sivana punches Shazam, knocking him into a police car. Shazam is clearly outmatched in the fight, which includes Sivana grabbing Shazam by the throat, taking him into the sky and dropping him from a great height.
Shazam manages to stop about an inch from the ground, and the fight continues -- later heading into a toy store in the mall, where Shazam tries to stop Sivana by throwing a Batman toy at him. (Nice.) There's also a Big piano moment during the fight. Collider said there were also some other shots shown, including younger Billy Baston saying "Shazam!" in an amusement park and transforming. They said the best footage was young Billy jumping off a building and saying "Shazam!" -- a lightning bolt hits him, transforming him into Shazam, and he flies off.
It's not clear when the rest of us will be able to see that footage, but we're looking forward to whatever we can get before the April release. The first big trailer was shared (with everyone) at San Diego Comic-Con.
While in Brazil, Zachary Levi connected with fans and received some Shazam gifts. One of those gifts was this fan art where Shazam met Jesus:
Zachary Levi later returned to Instagram to say he met the artist, and they both got emotional:
That's so sweet. Zachary Levi also shared his new "emotional support Shazam," also marked as a fan gift:
That has to be one of the many bonuses of playing a superhero -- fans love you even before the movie opens. Here's more from Zachary Levi, thanking fans for an incredible time in Brazil:
Shazam! will be the seventh movie in the DCEU, following the release of Aquaman later this month. Shazam! is set to open April 5, 2019, just a couple of weeks before Marvel's Avengers: Endgame. Here's more of what we know about Shazam! up to this point. Here's what else is still playing in theaters in the few weeks left to 2018. And here's the long lineup ahead, so far, for 2019.
