David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! is rolling down the bend, arriving in theaters on April 5th, and is (hopefully) a fresh take on the tired superhero origin story, starring Zachary Levi as the titular character (also known as Captain Marvel), along with Asher Angel as Billy Batson (Shazam's alter ego), and Mark Strong from the Kingsman films playing the villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. The original Sivana was a bit complicated, but after a few character reboots over the years, the latest (comic book) version of Sivana is a mad scientist who is also a powerful and influential tycoon. The former CEO of his own company, Sivana Industries, Sivana's corrupted dealings and beef with Captain Marvel led to his own destruction.
In the upcoming film (and the comics), Billy Batson’s superpower is activated by shouting SHAZAM!, where he turns into a superhero who can control lightning, in addition to having a power-set close to Superman's. The interesting thing is that the hero is still a kid, albeit inside a ripped, godlike body, which should lead to some fresh plot developments that go beyond the usual, "I now have powers and must learn to use them responsibly" schtick.
Check out this new trailer below, and get ready for Shazam! on April 5th.
