Though we didn’t get it at Comic-Con – even though it was expected – it would seem that casting news for Warner Bros. and DC’s Shazam! is just around the corner now.
Not too long ago, we learned that the project is getting ready to shoot in early 2018, which is pretty surprising given how little progress has been made thus far and as we just mentioned, the titular role of William Joseph “Billy” Batson still remains vacant. Though if Dwayne Johnson has his way, Warner Bros. may select Armie Hammer for the gig. Johnson, who’s currently attached to produce and star in a Black Adam movie, does hold a small degree of creative leverage in the DC Extended Universe, so it’ll be intriguing to find out if WB takes heed of the actor’s requests.
Regardless, this new report comes from Moviehole, who claim that the studio is now testing for Batson and believe that we could get an announcement around the end of September. Of course, there’s no word yet on which actors Warner Bros. has their eye on, but with the process now underway, we imagine that shortlists will start to surface in no time at all.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, it revolves around the inspiring story of Billy Batson, a homeless 12-year-old who’s granted the ability to harness the power of the gods – namely Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury…hence the name – and becomes Shazam. Given the age difference between Billy and the hero, we know that the studio plans to cast two different actors to bring these characters to life, rather than just go with one individual and de-age him – which is definitely the right call.
Beyond the release of Justice League on November 17th, Warner Bros. has earmarked Shazam to begin filming early next year ahead of a potential release in 2019. Those pining for a taste of David Sandberg’s directing style before then, however, can catch Annabelle: Creation, which is now playing in theatres and seems to be going over well with critics (our review here).
