A great DC movie is dominating Netflix today, as 2019’s Shazam! is sitting just outside the Top 10 most popular films on the streaming platform in the world, with it currently occupying 12th place on the chart, according to FlixPatrol’s latest stats. Though it didn’t find the same kind of phenomenal success as many other superhero movies, it’s clear that audiences have a lot of affection for the Zachary Levi vehicle.
Released 80 years after he made his debut in the pages of Fawcett Comics, Shazam! was the first film to bring the character formerly known as Captain Marvel to the screen. Primarily based on The New 52 iteration of the hero and his surrounding Shazam family, the movie follows Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a kid in foster care who’s granted the power to transform into a superpowered adult (Levi) by an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou). All he has to do is say the magic word “SHAZAM!” But it’s not all fun and games being a grown-up, as he’ll find out when he battles Doctor Sivana (Mark Strong), who wants Shazam’s power for himself.
For the comic book genre, Shazam! only made a soft impact on the box office, earning back $366 million worldwide. That said, it received widely positive reviews, with its Rotten Tomatoes score standing at an impressive 90%. Warner Bros. was convinced to move forward with the franchise, then, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods is in the works now, with director David F. Sandberg returning to helm. Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu have joined the cast as two new villains as well.
With any luck, the sequel will match the quality of its predecessor. After Zack Snyder’s grimdark films, Shazam! arrived as a perfect antidote to the original vision for the DCEU, providing a light-hearted fantasy comedy that packed in a lot of charm and warmth. Not to mention a winning performance from Levi.
Shazam! can’t be found on Netflix in the United States, but it is available in many other territories.