Much has been made of Warner Bros.’ efforts to “lighten the tone” of the DCEU following the criticism aimed towards 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And it seems this shift will continue with 2019’s Shazam! movie, with director David F. Sandberg previously stating that the film “will be one of the more fun or lighthearted movies so far in the DC universe.”
Posting on Reddit in a thread asking whether Shazam! will be the DCEU’s first comedy, Sandberg has now elaborated on the film’s tone, and its emphasis on humour:
“I think it’s very funny but the humor comes more from the situations rather than quippy one-liners (for people who read too much into things, that’s not intended as a dig at Marvel or anyone in particular. Quippy one-liners can be great). The important thing for me is to mix the funny with a threat that’s serious and to also have dramatic moments. All funny all the time takes the weight out of it.”
SEE ALSO: Mark Strong describes his Shazam villain as “an evil bastard”
Given that Shazam! revolves around a young boy who is able to transform into an adult superhero using magic, a fun and humourous tone certainly makes more sense than a gritty and grounded approach. Do you agree? Let us know what you make of Sandberg’s remarks in the comments below…
Shazam will see Zachary Levi starring as the titular superhero, with Asher Angel as his young alter-ego Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, Grace Fulton as Mary Marvel, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana and Ron Cephas Jones as the Wizard. The film is set for release on April 5th 2019.
Originally published January 22, 2018. Updated April 16, 2018.
