Today, the guys over at Moviehole have revealed that screentesting has begun for the role of Billy Batson in DC Comics upcoming Shazam! film. The report adds the studio is looking for an unknown in this role as well. Finally, the report adds that this film will be extremely lighthearted compared to the rest of the DCEU much in the vein of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
This would be one half of the leading character of Shazam as another adult actor will be cast as Shazam himself. For you who don’t know Billy Batson/Shazam are one in the same. The young Billy Batson screams Shazam and transforms into the body of Shazam himself.
When asked by Collider why they don’t use CGI to de-age an adult actor playing Shazam director David F. Sandberg said:
“I wouldn’t want to do that. That seems like way too much of a hassle. So I think it’s just kind of best to have a kid and an adult. Yeah and they’ve done quite well, I mean Kurt Russell was in the latest Guardians was really well made I thought, but I think there’s a limit to it as well. You probably can’t do someone to be a kid. Why create that hassle for yourself?”
With pre-production well underway and filming expected to begin in early 2018. Expect the announcment of Billy Batson as well as Shazam himself to by the end of September. Fans have speculated actors like Armie Hammer or Alan Ritchson would be perfect candidtes for the role of Shazam. With Armie Hammer co-staring with Superman himself Henry Cavill in 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Shazam has no set release date