Shazam! is a promising twist for the franchise
Captain Marvel has always been one of my favorite superheroes. I’m not referring to Carol Danvers, the superpowered Kree/human hybrid that recently broke box office records for Marvel Studios, much to the chagrin of internet trolls everywhere.
I’m referring to Billy Batson, the young man who, after meeting a wizard looking for a champion who is pure of heart, can transform into a mighty hero by speaking the word “Shazam!”
The original Captain Marvel was created as a Superman clone in 1939 by Fawcett Comics. It was eventually sued out of existence by DC Comics in a $400,000 lawsuit ($4 million in today’s currency) despite at one time being more popular than the Man of Steel.
DC later acquired all of the rights to the characters in Fawcett Comics, but before they did, a small upstart named Marvel had created their own character and trademarked the name. And thus began the confusion.
Shazam! is the official name of the character now, I think, although it seems difficult for a superhero to introduce himself when saying his own name makes him transform from one façade to another. This is just one of the many entertaining things about the new DC film Shazam!, directed by David S. Sandberg.
Shazam! is delightful and funny, lighthearted and whimsical—all things not generally associated with DC films. For the moment, DC seems to have abandoned a cinematic universe à la Marvel Studios. Shazam! is the first film post Justice League and it is easily the best of pack, thanks to a great script and charismatic lead, Zachary Levi.
The story begins by introducing its villain, Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) as a young boy. It appears the great wizard Shazam has been looking for a pure hearted human to pass on his powers to, but they must be able to resist the temptations of the “seven deadly sins”, demons who seek to sow chaos among the human race.
Sivana is summoned to the wizard lair, but is unable to resist the temptation, and Shazam banishes him back to the world. Many years later, Sivana has found the wizard again using the considerable resources at his disposal thanks to his father’s company. Sivana takes possession of the stone that holds the demons back and allows himself to be possessed by the demons. This forces the wizard to speed up his search.
He arrives at Billy Batson (Asher Angel), an orphan runaway looking for his mother, but staying with a foster family. After Billy defends his disabled foster brother from some bullies, he proves himself worthy and is granted the powers of Shazam! (Zachary Levi). Given that Billy is 14, he uses these powers to buy beer, perform feats of strength, and charge people for selfies. That is, until he is finally confronted by Sivana and must fight for what he believes in.
Granted, there’s a lot of disbelief that must be suspended to take the characters in Shazam! at face value. For a long time, comic book movies have shied away from the mystical aspects of the source material to try to stay rooted in quasi-reality, but thanks to films like Thor and Doctor Strange, studios have finally started to embrace the sillier aspects of the art form.
Films like Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy have also allowed for a more humor-based storytelling, which DC films certainly need. The result is a genuinely fun movie for a younger audience.
As I mentioned, Shazam! is played by Zachary Levi, of Chuck fame, and he is near perfect in the role. I say near perfect because at times he seems more childlike than the real Billy Batson, who for most of the film is somewhat sullen and morose. But then, it must be a lot of fun being super-powered, so you can explain some of the difference away.
The disconnect between the two characters isn’t all that distracting, however. It’s something you might notice long after the film is over.
Overall, Shazam! is a step in the right direction for DC. I’m not sure where the character goes from here, however. The film is an origin story, but I wouldn’t say that that characters themselves are begging for a sequel. I don’t know what else there is to develop for Billy, as most of his problems are solved through the course of the film.
I would be fine with Shazam! being stand alone, a fun story that doesn’t lead to anywhere new. A one-film character arc is so rare nowadays. This won’t happen, of course. Shazam! is a film about wish fulfillment. The studios will wish for more money.