Dwayne Johnson has been teasing a DC role for some time now, and speaking to Total Film, the star has confirmed that an official announcement is imminent (at Comic-Con, perhaps?), as well as dropping a huge hint that he’s set to play Shazam, the hero formerly known as Captain Marvel.
“DC and I have been talking for a couple of years now about trying to find whatever the right character is… There’s a character out there that we’re gonna announce very soon that I’m gonna play and I’ll just say this. He has the power of Superman, and it’s not Green Lantern, by the way. Believe me, John Stewart, he was a character I wanted to play but there was already a version of Green Lantern so now we’ve gone in a different direction. But this character has the power of Superman, he can throw down… Just say the word, that’s all I’m going to say.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the character, Shazam is a young boy called Billy Batson, who can transform into a superhero by speaking the word “Shazam”. He was originally created by C.C. Beck and Bill Parker back in 1939 for Fawcett Comics, who later became part of DC. The character also holds the distinction of being the first superhero adapted for the screen, with Republic Pictures producing the Adventures of Captain Marvel serial back in 1941.
Johnson has previously been linked to a Shazam movie, albeit in the role of Black Adam, having been attached back when Peter Segal was set to direct the ultimately unrealised Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam. Meanwhile, Shazam is also among the rumoured DC movies that Warner Bros. will reportedly announce at the San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, so could it be that the studio has found its Captain Marvel? And if there’s already a version of Green Lantern, does that mean we might see Ryan Reynolds’ Hal Jordan in Justice League?
Originally published July 21, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
