Zachary Levi stars in the film as the adult superhero Captain Marvel, who is actually a young boy named Billy Batson (played by Asher Angel). Billy is able to transform into the hero by uttering the magic word "Shazam!" Mark Strong is in talks to play the film's villain, with director David F. Samberg at the helm from a screenplay by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.

Shazam! opens four months after the next DC film, Jason Momoa's Aquaman (Dec. 21 of this year). And keeping the superhero momentum going, Marvel's fourth Avengers film opens one month after Shazam! on May 3, 2019.