Shazam! is a 2019 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, and the seventh installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). It stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a teenage boy who can transform into an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi. Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou also star. It is the first live-action film version of the character since the 1941 serial Adventures of Captain Marvel (the character's original name). Like Gremlins and Lethal Weapon before it, it takes place during the Christmas.
The film received praise from critics for Levi and Grazer's performances and Sandberg's direction, as well as its light tone and sense of fun, with many considering it to be one of the best DCEU films.
Plot
At Upstate New York in December 1974, a young Thaddeus Sivana and his older brother are driven home by their father. While playing with his Magic 8 Ball, Sivana is magically transported to the Rock of Eternity, where he meets a wizard, who introduced him to the mystical statues containing the spirits of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. The last of a council of 7, the wizard spent centuries searching for a new champion. Put to a test to see if he is pure of heart, Sivana attempts to touch the eye of envy, failing the test. Transported back to the car, he causes a scene in which his brother hits him, and his father to crash on ice, injured. The Magic 8 Ball reads "find me".
A few years before modern day, Billy is at a carnival with his mother, who plays darts in vain to get a tiger. Afterwards, Billy loses a pendant ball he has and chases after it, separating from his mother. Lost, he is picked up by police who gets him to a foster home.
In present-day (2018) Philadelphia, Billy Batson lures and traps police officers into a pawn shop, using their computer in hopes of searching the address of his long lost mother. Traveling, he is disappointed. He is found and brought to a social services worker who puts him with the Vasqueze family, and the other siblings, Eugene, Darla, Pedro, Mary and Freddy.
In the office building of Sivana Industries, a woman tells a doctor about her experience and shares a video. Sivana takes the video to his office where he had a project that tracked people who had similar sightings around the word, and the video enabled him to find access to the wizard's lair. When questioned about it, Sivana turns the doctor into dust. He uses the symbols to access the lair, confronts the wizard, and touches the energy ball by Enzy, unleashing the Seven Deadly Sins. They form into an eye and sits at home and latches itself into his right eye.
At school, the foster children show Billy around the school. At lunch, Freddie sits with Billy and, after pestering him for a few minutes, attempts to get him to know him better. Outside, bullies drive him and hit Freddie. Billy stands up to the bullies and hits them with Freddie's walking stick, and runs into the subway to avoid them. While on the train, symbols appear and he enters the Rock of Eternity. The wizard reveals he had previously given his to someone else, but had turned evil and killed numerous people and released the seven deadly sins. The wizard vowed to search for someone who possessed a pure of heart, leading him to search for millennia. He chooses Billy, who has to say the word Shazam. Billy says the word, and transforms into the champion Shazam, and the wizard disappears. Shazam returns to Philadelphia and returns to the foster home and meets with Freddie. Testing all the abilities, lightning, super speed, and strength. They enter a store and stop an armed robbery. Heading home, he discovers he reverts to his other form by saying Shazam.
At Sivana industries, Dr Sivana barges into a corporate meeting hosted by his brother and father, who had lost his legs in the accident from the night in 1974. A confrontation between the siblings results in Sivana throwng his brother out of the window and showing off the sins in his eyes, slaughtering everyone in the room, including his father.
Freddie posts videos of Shazam's powers, going viral. Freddie and Billy are in school and skip school when Billy poses as Shazam to check them out. Leaving, they get around to test fire immunity, flight, and strength. Happy, they walk through a mall where they use the lightning ability to charge people's cell phones, get sodas for free, attempt to purchase a lair from a real estate agent, and going to a strip club. He comes out and says we need more money. They go to an ATM, zapping it and taking some of the money, using it to purchase merchandise.
Next day at school - the bullies begin to mess with Freddie and Billy again until Freddie tells them he knows the new hero "Red Cyclone" - they don't believe him, but he tells them that he'll get him to show up to lunch tomorrow. Freddie and Billy get into a bit of an argument over him just assuming and trying to use Billy for his powers. That night at dinner the father asks the family what they think of the new hero - everyone gives input and Freddie takes a dig at Shazam and then him and Billy get into a bit of an argument leaving the rest of the family confused.
At school the next day, Billy decides not to attend school because he wants to find his mother, despite Freddie asking for lunch. Shazam does various things, taking selfies, and showing off lightning for money. He sees and saves Mary from being hit by a car, and talking to her makes him realize she is upset that, because of college, she will have to leave her family. Shazam accidentally reveals he knew her name and housing situation, but leaves. Freddie finds Shazam and tries to talk to him, yet Shazam tries to diffuse it, shooting lighting that hits the tires of a bus across the city, sending it off the side of the bridge. Catching it, Shazam puts it on the concrete, only to be promptly told he's not using his powers right. Hearing the commotion, Dr. Sivana shows up and demands the powers that Shazam possesses. Brushing him off, Shazam is promptly thrown around and lands through a mall, while discovering his ability to fly. Sivana hunts him down, but Shazam transforms back into Billy and runs. Freddie is there and is taken hostage by Sivana, who demands to be taken to Billy. Billy shows up, and they know with Eugene telling him where his mother is; she is only 2 subway stops away. Billy rushes out of his house, with his foster parents in tow. Back at the house, Sivana shows up with Freddie and traps the children. Billy arrives at his mothers apartment complex. His mother informs Billy he was intentionally abandoned on that day, and saw him with the police and that he would be better cared by others, since she was 17. Leaving, he receives a call and Sivana tells him to come home. Billy jumps off the apartment building and transforms to Shazam and flies home.
Shazam decides to give up the power to save his family and Sivana opens a magical door to the Rock of Eternity. Taking the wizard's staff, Sivana unleashes the 7 deadly sins. The siblings enter the cave and distract Sivana long enough for them to run and exit into a winter carnival.
Sivana and the sins attack the Carnival, shooting at a Ferris wheel, almost tipping over. Sivana and Shazam fight all around the carnival. Getting a hold of the wizard's stick, Shazam and his family, yell his name, and transmits his power to his family, transforming them into the Shazam family, each an adult superhero. Each fighting one sin, Shazam engages with Sivana while flying through skyscrapers.
As it goes to tip over - Freddie flies in to save the last two people on it - the bullies. Shazam and Sivana end up on a rooftop and Shazam goads the one deadly sin who remained -- Envy. It rips itself out from Sivana's eye and Shazam yells Shazam, hurting it. Sivana is knocked off the roof, now mortal. Shazam grabs Sivana and drags him to the carnival, ripping the magical eye out. Saving the day, the Shazam family basks in the cheers of the crowd, takes the eye back to the lair, and return the sins for keeping. Shazam and Freddie decide this is their lair. Back at the foster home, everyone returned to their original form and are watching a news cast of the carnival instance, with Santa Claus describing the event. The foster family all talk and laugh and Billy finally feels happy and safe accepting a family.
At school, Freddie sits down at lunch and the entire table leaves so all his siblings come and sit next to him. The bullies show up and ask if he's still friends with Red Cyclone - Shazam shows up and tells the school how Freddie showed him everything it means to be a hero and that he also brought another friend - Superman. In the mid-credits scene, Sivana is doodling the symbols all over the wall of his prison cell until he's interrupted by Mister Mind, who tells him of the pillars of evil that will come together. After the credits, Shazam tries to talk to fish a la Aquaman.
Songs
| Song | Performed by |
|---|---|
| "Do You Hear What I Hear?" | Bing Crosby |
| "Don't Stop Me Now" | Queen |
| "Legend" | 21 Pilots |
| "Eye of the Tiger" | Survivor |
| "Feel Me Flow" | Naughty by Nature |
| "I'll Be Home for Christmas" | Dean Martin |
| "Feels" | Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry and Big Sean |
| "Feels Good" | Colton Fisher |
| "24k Magic" | Bruno Mars |
| "Musical Chairs" | Rumspringa featuring Joey Stevens and Itaru De La Vega |
| "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" | |
| "The Real Thing" | Cook Classics featuring Outasight |
| "Bounce" | Sweatbeatz featuring Dia Hodari and Ricardo Spicer |
| "Slow Hands" | Niall Horan |
| "Winter Wonderland" | |
| "Cherry Pie" | Warrant |
| "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" | Natalie Cole |
| "Superman Theme" | John Williams (composer) |
| "I Don't Want to Grow Up" | Ramones |
Cast
| Actor(s)/actress(es) | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Zachary Levi Asher Angel |
Billy Shazam Billy Batson |
| David Kohlsmith | Billy Batson (young) |
| Mark Strong | Dr. Sivana |
| Jack Dylan Grazer Adam Brody |
Freddy Freeman Freddy Shazam |
| Djimon Hounsou | Wizard Shazam |
| Faithe Herman Meagan Good |
Darla Dudley Darla Shazam |
| Grace Fulton Michelle Borth |
Mary Bromfield Mary Shazam |
| Ian Chen Ross Butler |
Eugene Choi Eugene Shazam |
| Jovan Armand D.J. Cotrona |
Pedro Peña Pedero Shazam |
| Marta Milans | Rosa Vasquez |
| Cooper Andrews | Victor Vasquez |
| Ethan Pugiotto | Thaddeus Sivana (1974) |
| John Glover | Mr. Sivana |
| Landon Doak | Sid Sivana (1974) |
| Wayne Ward | Sid Sivana (2018) |
| Paul Braunstein Nadine Roden |
Officers |
| Caroline Palmer | Billy's Mom |
| Emily Nixon | Woman (Red Coat) |
| Michael Xavier | Carnival cop |
| Keisha T. Fraser | Rachel Batson |
| Andi Osho | Ms. E.B. Glover |
| Lotta Losten | Dr. Lynn Crosby |
| Lisa Truong | Ms. Kwan |
| Carson MacCormac | Brett Breyer |
| Evan Marsh | Burke Breyer |
| Joseph Pierre | Drunk guy |
| Jhaleil Swaby | Passing teen |
| Misha Rasaiah | Woman |
| Luke Gallo | Mugger |
| Lovina Yavari | Store clerk |
| Craig Henry Shawn Stewart |
Robbers |
| Kerri Kamara | Attractive woman |
| Adam Rodness | Receptionist |
| Cliff Saunders | School security guard |
| Simon Northwood | Pissed off phone owner |
| Kenneth Mohabir | Freaked out man |
| Paloma Nuñez | Realtor |
| Ilan O'Driscoll Bryce Arden Poe Tosh Robertson Daniel & Rowan Beiser-Hunt (uncredited) Michael Towns (uncredited) |
Students |
| Rachel Boyd | Senior girl |
| Jeff Sanca | Bus driver |
| Dan Skene Angelica Lisk-Hann Cassandra Ebner John Stead Allen Keng Mitra Suri Stephannie Hawkins Eli Martyr |
Bus passengers |
| Nneka Elliott | Newscaster |
| Aria Anthony | Little girl with Santa |
| Brian Kaulback | Mall Santa |
| Chemika Bennett-Heath | Sales assistant |
| Deborah Tennant | Customer in changing room |
| Martin Roach | Bill Parker |
| Allison Brennan | Cissie Sommerly |
| Damir Andrei | Charlie Beck |
| Steve Newburn Neil Morrill |
Crocodile puppeteers |
| Stephen Alexander Pearl Ho Anthony Gritsyuk |
Carnival goers |
| Jesse Bond | Father at Carnival |
| Harper Gunn | Little Girl at Carnival |
| Matthew Binkley Violetta Pioro |
Love Park couple |
| Jackson Reid | Little boy |
| Hazel Gorin | Stunned lunch lady |
| Steve Blum (voice) Darin De Paul (voice) Fred Tatasciore (voice) |
Sins |
| Callie Presniak Craig Warnock Pamela Matthews Ava Preston Manuel Rodriguez Ali Badshah Tabitha Tao Lisa Codrington |
Interviewees |
| Uncredited actors/actresses | |
| Sarah Bennani | Simone |
| Heather Capuano | Carnival Goer #4 |
| Cyndy Day | Mom on airplane |
| Bill Dean (voice) | Batman |
| Robert Grondski Lucky Harmon Diezel Hamos |
Businessmen |
| Ryan Handley | Superman |
| Krystal Kiran | Elahe |
| Lavender Joe Lavender |
Attendees |
| David J. MacNeil | Mr. Breyer |
| Carson Manning | Board Member |
| Bryan Mills | Pedestrian |
| Jeffrey Mowery | Philadelphian |
| Jim Pagiamtzis | Night Club Patron |
| Caillou Pettis | Carnival Goer |
| Marc Primiani | School Science Teacher |
| Jillian Rees-Brown | Ruby Beazley |
| Dana Reznik | Carnival Mom |
| Shayna Ryan | Art Museum Goer |
| Lou Lou Safran | Sivana's Twin Sisters (12 years old) |
| Natalia Safran | Mrs. Sivana |
| David F. Sandberg | Crocodile-Men Mister Mind (voice) |
| Angela Thompson | Mom at Carnival |
| K.G. Weiss | Businessman Spectator |
Home media releases
July 16, 2019
July 16, 2019
July 16, 2019
Trivia
- At the end of the shopping mall conflict scene, David F. Sandberg's 2006 award-winning short All Quiet Now… is shown on the television screen.
External Link
- Shazam! at the Internet Movie Database
- Shazam! at Rotten Tomatoes