Being a big fan of DC’s Captain Marvel, the recent flurry of casting announcements surrounding Shazam! fills my heart with glee, although that glee is tempered a bit by the latest piece of casting news.
Variety states that actor Asher Angel has been cast in the film as Billy Batson. Asher might be familiar to fans of the Disney Channel drama Andi Mack, where he plays Jonah Beck, the title character’s object of tweener desire.
For those of you unfamiliar with the comics, Billy Batson is an orphan who comes across the wizard Shazam in an abandoned subway station. The wizard magically bestow upon Batson the ability to become an adult superhero called Captain Marvel every time Billy says the Wizard’s name.
Zachary Levi will play Captain Marvel and Mark Strong is in talks to play their nemesis, Dr. Sivana. Variety also states that Annabelle: Creation actress Grace Fulton will play one of Batson’s friends who is at yet unnamed.
Having an eight-year-old, I am more familiar with Andi Mack than I need or want to be. But in my exposure to Angel’s acting on that show, well, I’m not a fan. Granted, he’s not working with Shakespeare there, and I’m decades outside the show’s target demographic, but Angel’s acting didn’t really impress me in all the times I was forced to watch the show.
David F. Sandberg is directing from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Production is set to begin in February of 2018 for a 2019 release date.
