If you think this essentially looks like a superhero version of 'Big', you're not wrong - because that's pretty much what they're going for with 'Shazam!', the latest superhero film from the DC Expanded Universe.
Entertainment Weekly had an exclusive first-look image of Zachary Levi and 'It' alum Jack Dylan Grazer as Shazam and Freddy Freeman chugging cola outside a supermarket after orphan Billy Batson successfully transforms into Shazam, a mighty superhero who's imbued with the power of six ancient warriors by Djimon Honsou.
Again, if you think the costume looks cheesy and goofy, it's all intentional. Speaking to EW, director David F. Sandberg explained that he's going for a retro look with Shazam's costume. "I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that’s something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman. It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I’m going for."
The same goes for the action and overall vibe of the movie, which Sandberg described as "a classic superhero movie," and more colourful - something that'd be in sharp contrast to 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice' and 'Suicide Squad'. Where 'Shazam!' fits into the DC Expanded Universe, however, remains to be seen.
Just yesterday, Warner Bros. officially greenlit the utterly ill-advised Joker origins story with Jaoquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips, which will sit alongside Jared Leto's standalone Joker movie also at some stage. Between these, you've got 'Wonder Woman 1984' and 'Aquaman' due to arrive later this year, so it's anybody's guess where 'Shazam!' will end up.
The movie arrives in Irish cinemas on April 5th, 2019.
