Not so fast, DC fans.
The Wrap reporter and all-around industry sleuth Umberto Gonzalez has weighed in to debunk those rumors linking Joshua Sasse and wrestling-icon-cum-actor John Cena with the titular role of Shazam! The Internet was abuzz yesterday evening when That Hashtag Show posted a ‘scoop’ claiming that both Cena and Sasse had emerged as early frontrunners for the coveted gig, though it appears that neither will be playing Earth’s mightiest mortal after all.
Taking to Twitter, Gonzalez noted that, “That Hashtag Show Shazam! story is not true [sic]. There are no frontrunners. Joshua Sasse can’t be a frontrunner because he hasn’t even been seen yet!” Fairly cut and dry, wouldn’t you say?
Out of the two, John Cena, who is currently filming Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, would’ve been the more likely to play the souped-up version of Billy Batson, though it seems THS jumped the gun with its casting scoop.
One thing worth salvaging is the brief synopsis that came attached to yesterday’s report, which contained a fleeting introduction to the character of Billy Batson (AKA Captain Marvel) for those not already in the know.
Based on the DC Comics character “Shazam!” Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, the world’s mightiest mortal, when he says the magic word “Shazam! The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes. The wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury.
Pre-production on Warner’s Shazam! movie is officially underway, now that David Sandberg has guided Annabelle: Creation to box office stardom. Assuming everything remains on schedule, filming would commence in the early stages of next year ahead of a planned release in 2019. Closer to home, next up for the DC Extended Universe is the release of Justice League on November 17th.
