Shazam!: 7 Reveals From The New Teaser
2. Zachary Levi's Inner Child
The role of Shazam is an undoubtedly difficult one to cast. On the one hand, the character is a much more overtly joyful hero than the vast majority of his fellow comic book characters. On the other hand, he's still just a troubled teenager. The powers don't assuage his fears or anxieties; if anything they heighten them.
But if this new teaser is anything to go off of, it looks as though Zachary Levi is going to strike the perfect balance.
On a purely visual level, Levi is able to naturally give off a childlike affectation. Much like Tom Hanks in Big before him, Levi's range practically lends itself to a role like this. One of the very best examples of this in the new teaser is when he's attempting to buy beer in the gas station.
Levi completely sells the duality of the role, both showing visible attempts at restraint and demonstrating the exuberant inner child within the character. The amount of heavy lifting he's able to do in terms of the characterization of Shazam within one shot is truly remarkable.
By the time the film hits theaters, we're betting it'll be hard to ever imagine anyone else playing the role in the first place.