With Justice League now out of the way, the DCEU is now about to go all in on a series of exciting solo movies. Chief among these is Shazam, which will mark the first appearance of Billy Batson in live-action in the modern age of superhero movies. Asher Angel was recently cast as the young hero, and according to the actor, auditioning for director David F. Sandberg, and the folks at Warner Bros. was a fun process that involved taping himself and then flying out to Los Angeles. Angel explained:
I was self-taping for it and then they wanted to call me in for a test so I came out to Los Angeles. I tested with David [Sandberg]... it was so much fun! Like I just felt so comfortable, he's a really, really cool guy. He's originally from Sweden and the next day I went into Warner Bros. to do one last scene in front of the execs and everyone and I mean two days later we were leaving from L.A. to go back to Utah and we got the call and I was just, I was shook.
The comic book movie genre has helped pluck many up-and-coming actors from relative obscurity to become household names, and Asher Angel's comments during his conversation with Circa News give us more information about how that process works. He flew out to Los Angeles from his home in Utah to audition, and while the entire act of performing made him nervous (or "shook"), it sounds like David F. Sandberg serves as a comforting presence to help him get through it. After all, Billy Batson is a fun-loving kid, so this process should be fun.
As far as directors go, there's a strong case to be made that Asher Angel couldn't have received a better filmmaker to work with than David F. Sandberg. With two major Hollywood productions under his belt in the form of Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, Sandberg has proven himself as a filmmaker who knows how to work with younger heroes in his movies. If Sandberg can bring the same level of skill that he brought to his direction of his first two horror films, then the 15-year-old actor can rest easy knowing that he's in very good hands.
Of course, Asher Angel isn't the only factor involved in the creation of Shazam's titular hero. The film has also enlisted the acting chops of Chuck's Zachary Levi to play the adult version of the character, which means the two actors will technically share billing when the film finally debuts. Levi has been in the acting game considerably longer than Asher Angel, but now we're left to wonder if he got just as nervous when he auditioned for the role.
David F. Sandberg's Shazam solo movie is expected to begin production in February and debut in theaters in April 2019. If you're looking for more up-to-date information on all of the films set to premiere over the course of the next year, then take a look at CinemaBlend's 2018 movie premiere guide and fill out your moviegoing calendars accordingly!
