Press visited the "Shazam" set, revealing some inside ideas on the DC Universe. For those who might think that the DC Extended Universe, or the shared setting of DC superhero Movies being developed by Warner Bros. Pictures, is on its way out, that may be a premature prediction. Following the great success of "Aquaman" during the 2018 holidays, it seems the DCEU is firmly established now, moving forward in competition to Disney-Marvel’s MCU.
Next on the DCEU release schedule is "Shazam!" premiering this April and starring Zachary Levi as a teenaged foster kid’s grownup superhero alter ego.
On a recent set visit by the press, the production gladly answered questions about the movie.
Why it looks like Christmas during the events of ‘Shazam!’
Several points about Warner-DC’s "Shazam!" were brought up in talks with the film cast and director David F Sandberg. One element was about the perceived incongruity of the calendar period between the film release (April in the spring) and in-universe. The trailers positions the events of the movie during the winter season, with holiday trimmings here and there.
Sandberg considers the time period to be relevant to the plot of "Shazam!" "Yeah, it's all about family and like Christmas time and this family holiday," he tells ComicBook.com, noting the appropriateness of the theme of looking for family during a family-oriented occasion.
The one drawback to setting "Shazam!" in the winter was the fact that they had to shoot primarily during the actual season. "It just meant that we had to shoot it here in winter, which has been pretty brutal," continues the director.
He noted how it was necessary to film one of the fight scenes involving actors Asher Angel and Zachary Levi with their shared character at an outdoor carnival set during a winter evening.
He said, "So we've been shooting it during the night, and it’s been pretty miserable."
‘Shazam!’ takes place when superheroes have become a ‘normal’ presence
The other point that was brought up by the press on their "Shazam!" set visit was how the film would fit with the rest of the DCEU. Here the question was picked up by Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays Freddy Freeman who serves as a confidant to Angel’s Billy Batson/Levi’s Shazam.
He relates that the movie takes place when other heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman have started becoming in-universe household names. This explains why Freddy has a replica Batarang and a Superman action figure. In fact, this puts context on a line. Grazer’s character says about Shazam, that he has gained "Superman Status" because of his costume design and powers.
The film’s costume designer Leah Butler concurs on that impression when she says to IGN, "Side by side the Superman costume, Shazam holds himself very well next to Superman."
Warner-DC’s "Shazam!" premieres April 5.
