Following the release of Justice League later this year, we will see a wave of new heroes enter the DCEU. With that in mind, one of the most exciting upcoming solo movies of the bunch is David Sandberg's Shazam, which is set to begin principal photography early next year. Development of the film appears to be going reasonably well, but it seems that Sandberg just trolled fans with an (admittedly rudimentary) sketch of what the titular hero could potentially look like when the film finally premieres. Check it out below.
Judging by that photo, we are willing to bet that there are probably better sketches of Shablam (a.k.a Shazam) hidden somewhere in Sandberg's offices. The Lights Out director played incredibly coy about whether or not he was involved in the DC movie until earlier this month (when the official announcement came out), and now he seems fully invested in the process of getting his fans pumped up for the 2019 superhero adventure. He may not be the greatest sketch artist in the world, but at least he nailed the lightning bolt on the chest, right?
Of course, Sandberg made sure to note that this design doesn't represent what the character will precisely look like, writing in a twitter post that linked to the above image.
As long as you don't forget this is a work in progress!!
Although it may not seem terribly important at first glance, David Sandberg's willingness to have some fun with that picture really shines a light onto what the Shazam solo movie needs in order to succeed. The titular hero of this film is quite literally a child stuck inside an adult's body, and the film will need to show audiences what it's like for a kid to attain superhuman powers. One of the core themes of a proper Shazam story is the concept of wish fulfillment and hope, so his first movie in the DCEU has to give us a sense that he enjoys his status as a hero. Who knows? Maybe this sketch will even show up in Billy Batson's bedroom at some point during the film.
Shazam tells the story of a young boy named Billy Batson who receives supernatural abilities from a powerful wizard. By uttering the word "Shazam,' he is struck by lightning and subsequently turns into a muscle-bound hero with the "Wisdom of Solomon, the Strength of Hercules, the Stamina of Atlas, the Power of Zeus, the Courage of Achilles, and the Speed of Mercury." Shazam is one of the Justice League's most powerful figures (he can even face off against Superman in a one-on-one match) and a fundamental character for establishing the tone of DC's upcoming film slate. All things considered, it looks like David Sandberg (despite his horror movie pedigree) has a firm grasp on what it takes to get the young Mr. Batson right.
David Sandberg's Shazam is expected to debut in theaters on April 5, 2019. Make sure to catch DC's biggest heroes as they assemble for the very first time when Zack Snyder's Justice League debuts in theaters on November 17, 2017.
