Shazam!: Realistic Portrayal of a 12 Year Old With Superpowers

Shazam! is one of the latest movies in the DCEU and like Aquaman it has a more lighthearted tone and is less focused on setting up future movies. Shazam! stars Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou. Asher stars as Billy Batson, a young foster kid who gets power from the wizard Shazam played by Hounsou. Mark Strong plays Dr. Sivana, a man obsessed with finding a way to Shazam’s realm. By saying the name Shazam Billy becomes the hero Shazam and an adult played by Zachary Levi.

When Billy becomes Shazam, he is still a kid mentally. Zachary Levi does a great job showing this attitude. When he gets his powers he does things a 12 year old would do like get beer or show off his powers. Jack Dylan Grazer is very into superheroes and knows about all the other DC heroes in this world. They include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the Flash. The two test out Shazam’s powers like flying, invisibility, invulnerability, and talking to fish. This created a hilarious montage of testing powers. Grazer brings a lot of humor to the movie with his sarcasm and fast jokes. He also starred in It and It: Chapter 2.

Mark Strong is the villain and has the power of the seven deadly sins. They are all physical beings and attack as a mist. Strongs character is almost identical to his character Sinestro from the movie Green Lantern. He is a potential hero that feels he was betrayed by the forces of good and becomes a villain.

This movie has some great cameos from John Glover, Adam Brody, and Meagan Good. The comedy and playful tone of Shazam is what really makes it enjoyable. It makes fun of superhero tropes like the villain monologue. Dr Sivana and Shazam are in the air far away from each other and Sivana starts gives the villain speech and because it the distance apart from Shazam, Shazam can’t hear him. Shazam also has a good message about finding family in the people who care about you despite blood relations. It’s definitely a step in the same direction as Aquaman and a good future for the DCEU. 🍔🍔🍔