Sam Raimi's goodwill with comic book fans went straight down the drain with 2007's Spider-Man 3, but that doesn't negate the incredible impact he had on the superhero genre. Bryan Singer gets a lot of credit for launching the current superhero film trend with X-Men, but Raimi's role may have been even bigger. Singer opened the door for modern day comic book adaptations that could be taken seriously, but Raimi's Spider-Man swung right through the door that Singer opened and caught the attention of audiences worldwide, effectively propelling the superhero craze into what we're witnessing today. Raimi could make his triumphant return to the superhero franchise with Shazam. Though the character's powers are vastly different than those of the wall-crawler, Shazam and Spidey share a lot of similarities. First of all, both heroes have adolescent alter-egos. Billy Batson is arguably the Peter Parker of the DC Universe, a kid with real-life struggles who's gifted with incredible powers and becomes a hero. What a Shazam film needs is a strong focus on Batson's character, with a fun superhero adventure to boot. Raimi directed some of the most fun, critically acclaimed comic book films of all time, and could use those Spider-Man sensibilities to do the same for Shazam. Raimi also has a knack for darker material, and could easily bring to life the more supernatural and mystical elements of Shazam's world, and make Black Adam a truly memorable villain.
James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment.
You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com
