Zachary Levi’s Costume Revealed in First Shazam! Photo

Zachary Levi’s costume revealed in Shazam! photo

Zachary Levi is geared up in his Shazam! costume in the first official photo from the upcoming DC superhero film. Check it out in the gallery below (via EW). The photo reveals 14-year-old Billy Batson’s alter-ego Shazam grabbing a drink with Freddy Freeman (played by IT‘s Jack Dylan Grazer), another orphan and Billy’s best friend.

Inspired by different versions of the character throughout the superhero’s appearances in comics and animated movies, Director David Sandberg discussed how he redesigned the costume for the film: “I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that’s something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman. It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I’m going for.”

Shazam’s costume is also complete with gold gauntlets inspired by an animated feature version of the character, a glowing lightning bolt that can appear on the superhero’s chest, and a hood that Sandberg included from The New 52, the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics.

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).

The cast includes Asher Angel (Andi Mack) as Billy Batson, Djimon Hounsou (Guardians of the Galaxy) as The Wizard, and Mark Strong (Kingsman) in the role of Super-Villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. The film also stars Jack Dylan Grazer (IT) as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, part of the foster family that includes Mary, played by Grace Fulton (Annabelle: Creation); Darla, played by Faithe Herman (This is Us); Eugene, played by Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat); and Pedro, played by Jovan Armand (Hawaii Five-0). Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) and Marta Milans (Killer Women) play foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez.

David F. Sandberg is directing for New Line Cinema. The Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation director will step behind the camera with Peter Safran producing. Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke wrote the script for Shazam!

Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, Shazam first appeared in Fawcett Comics’ Whiz Comics #2. By saying the world “Shazam,” teenager Billy Batson was transformed into the “world’s mightiest mortal” and given extraordinary abilities by ancient gods.

Shazam! will debut in theaters on April 5, 2019.