Shazam! Said To Be The Best DC Movie Since Dark Knight Trilogy

With Wonder Woman 1984 having been delayed a whopping seven months, 2019 is set to be the year of Shazam!, at least as far as DCEU releases go. And from the various trailers and bits of promotional footage we’ve seen so far, it really does look like the upcoming flick will be unlike any DC movie we’ve had before.

For starters, it’s headlined by Billy Batson, a young boy who finds himself as the unlikely successor to Shazam, an ancient wizard who’s harnessed the god-like abilities of Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. That premise will no doubt add a little levity and lightheartedness to David F. Sandberg’s superhero spinoff, which will help set it apart from Warner’s other comic book movies, like Justice League and Batman V Superman, right off the bat.

Another thing that might help set it apart is that apparently, it’s quite good. An early test screening was held not too long ago and though we advise taking this with the usual pinch of salt, a user on Reddit has shared their thoughts on Shazam!, calling it “pure joy to watch.”

I saw an early screening for Shazam and it’s honestly the best movie DC has put out since the Nolan Batman series. It may just be the movie to put DC back on track. This movie was pure joy to watch from beginning to end. The script is great and performances are amazing, although with a few underwhelming ones. Amazing surprises and really heartfelt story. Marvel better bring their A game because the competition is getting crisp.”

Again, this is just one person’s opinion and it’d be best not to put too much stock into it, but it’s certainly encouraging to hear. It also lines up with what we’ve heard already about the general tone and personality of Shazam!, with DC’s Geoff Johns hinting at that “pure joy” the Redditor mentions by explaining that the pic is set to be a fun and light-hearted blockbuster.

“I keep saying [Shazam!] is like if Roald Dahl created superheroes,” said Johns. “It’s inspired by Phantom Tollbooth and Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter, like doing a real, fun, family-centered, emotional, magical character-driven story with these crazy characters that have no manual on what it is to be the Champions of Magic.”

Couple this with Aquaman‘s recent success at the box office and it’s starting to look like Warner Bros. has finally gotten their superhero franchise back on track. And we’ll know for sure if that’s the case when Shazam! conjures its way into theaters on April 5th.