Shazam!!! - Part 1

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]263110[/split]

 

[Sebastos]

First off, I want to say that I can't WAIT for this flick. Been a long time fan of the character, and I'm keeping my hopes up! Second, what news have we gotten? Anything recent??

 

[Ponyboy]

 

[Ponyboy]

First off, I want to say that I can't WAIT for this flick. Been a long time fan of the character, and I'm keeping my hopes up! Second, what news have we gotten? Anything recent??

I agree... I think they should do it ala Monster Society and really focus on the boy in the beginning. Build it up to him becoming Captain Marvel (like in the first 1978 Superman movie)

 

[Airwings]

Oooww, a superman rip-off. It's so obvious.

Dark-haired super strong flying man in a suit and cape, with a symbol on the chest.
I wonder how much effort they must put into it to make it stand on its own.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Include Billy Batson. Done.

 

[gn6196]

I never saw him as any more than a second rate Superman.

 

[Ponyboy]

A 2nd rate Superman perhaps. Just as powerful and his powers are based on an entirely different premise.

 

[some guy]

Oooww, a superman rip-off. It's so obvious.

Dark-haired super strong flying man in a suit and cape, with a symbol on the chest.
I wonder how much effort they must put into it to make it stand on its own.

Super-powered alien rocketed to Earth from a doomed planet...

Boy granted magic-based powers derived from 5 Roman/Greek deities and a Biblical figure...

Wow, yeah, those are remarkably similar. Someone should sue somebody, probably.

 

[HighFivingMF]

I never saw him as any more than a second rate Superman.

Then you've never read a story with him? He was created as a response to Superman, sure, but so is every superhero. Obviously he had something special to make him more popular than even Superman and Batman at one point in time.

 

[theMan-Bat]

Captain Marvel is not a rip-off of Superman. There are similarities, however, Captain Marvel is very different. He's not an alien from another planet, rocked to Earth, etc. Unlike the extraterrestrial Superman, Captain Marvel is magical, going back to old folklore and mythos of classic times, Greek mythology. The 3,000 year-old wizard Shazam turned young Billy Batson into Captain Marvel with the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury. The wizard Shazam's name is from the first letters of the seven Elder's names. Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel by saying the magic word, which is the wizard's name, Shazam. Superman never lost his powers as Clark Kent, but Billy Batson is as vulnerable as any young, non-super-powered boy, thus, more relatable.

Superman's look was modeled after Douglas Fairbanks, as Clark Kent his look was modeled after Harold Lloyd. Captain Marvel's look was modeled after Fred McMurray. The wizard Shazam's look was modeled after Merlin. Superman's costume was modeled after circus/carnival strong man costumes, with trunks over tights. Captain Marvel's costume was modeled after both military uniforms, with a buttoned lapel and boxy shoulders, buccaneer boots, and ancient Egyptian and Persian costumes, with arm bands, a sash with a dangling tail, a cape with braid/button loops that's held around his neck by a cord and hanging over one shoulder was modeled after the ceremonial cape worn by the British nobility.

Captain Marvel was shown flying from Washington to New York and from New York to Chicago in Whiz Comics #5 (May, 1940) "Captain Marvel Crashes Through" by creators Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, while Superman was still only leaping an eighth of a mile. http://www.marvelfamily.com/FunFacts/funfact.aspx?FFID=29
Captain Marvel Jr. first appeared in Whiz Comics #25 (December, 1941), years before Superboy first appeared in More Fun Comics #101 (January–February, 1945). Mary Marvel first appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (December, 1942), years before Supergirl first appeared in Action Comics #252 (May, 1959). Even Hoppy the Marvel Bunny first appeared in Fawcett's Funny Animals #1 (December, 1942), years before Krypto the Superdog first appeared in Adventure Comics #210 (March, 1955). In Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978) and Donner's Superman II (1978), Marlon Brando's Jor-El was a Shazam-like mentor spirit who counsels Superman, like the wizard Shazam counsels Captain Marvel, and in a huge Fortress, that is reminiscent of the the wizard Shazam's Rock of Eternity. Even Luthor's assistant Ms. Teschmacher who has feelings for Superman and saves him, is like Sivana's assistant Beautia who has feelings for Captain Marvel, and she saves him. Beautia first appeared in Whiz Comics #3 (April, 1940) "The Return of Sivana" by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck.

 

[Airwings]

No matter what their backstories are and how they get their powers. For non-comic readers it would visually look as a Superman clone. Sorry to say that.

 

[Ponyboy]

Super-powered alien rocketed to Earth from a doomed planet...

Boy granted magic-based powers derived from 5 Roman/Greek deities and a Biblical figure...

Wow, yeah, those are remarkably similar. Someone should sue somebody, probably.

 

[theMan-Bat]

A Shazam! movie that's faithful to the comics would make it obvious to non-comic readers that Captain Marvel/Billy Batson is definitely not a Superman/Clark Kent clone.

 

[Ponyboy]

Exactly. They just need to start it slow... start with the boy living on the streets, a street rat kind of thing and the hardships of that life. Jeff Smith's version of Shazam was perfectly ideal for a film... well, minus the talking alligators.

 

[Airwings]

Well, time to discuss some actors then.
I have read that people prefer The Rock as Black Adam. It could work if he have a tough side to him, and not acting like it's one of his family films.

*laugh* I just got Brendan Fraser's name in my head when thinking about Captain Marvel himself.
Finding Billy Batson is not just something that should be taken lightly. They must push themselves and going for some really talented young guy. Not Logan Lerman because he's everywhere these days and more of a celebrity. No, they should go with someone like Liam Aiken.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Liam Aiken is 21 and Logan Lerman is 19. Billy is supposed to be like 12.

 

[Czar Colossus]

Exactly. They just need to start it slow... start with the boy living on the streets, a street rat kind of thing and the hardships of that life. Jeff Smith's version of Shazam was perfectly ideal for a film... well, minus the talking alligators.

Did not like Smith's idea of Billy and Cap being two separate beings though. I prefer him to be Billy (on the inside) when he's Cap.

 

[Airwings]

Well, I don't think they gonna go with an actual 12-year-old kid. They gonna change him into a teenager or something.
Liam Aiken would perhaps be a good pick RIGHT NOW, with his youthful looks and appearance. But the Shazam will lay years into the future, unfortunately. I guess Aiken will be old enough to play the hero by then.

This year, 2011, I think Kevin Zegers could work as Captain Marvel, He's both young and in the right age, I guess. And he's not skinny, he has got muscles.

 

[Duke]

What's the current status of this property? Last I heard it was in development with Peter Segal directing. Has it reverted back into developmental hell? As for Billy Batson, how about Joel Courtney from Super 8?

 

[Airwings]

No Joel Courtney. I think it should be Max Records' turn again. He comes before Joel in the line.

 

[misjuevos]

with the superman legal stuff now, maybe shazam is the way to go now. build him up.

 

[Duke]

Another kid I would consider for Billy Batson would be Zach Gordon.

 

[Lord]

I don't think a Kid transforming into an adult superhero would work, they can make him in his 20s that is given his powers and to make it even more diferent than superman they can make it set in the 40s and even take some elements from the popular serials, like Indiana Jones toke some elements from early serials.
Shazam must follow the same style.

 

[misjuevos]

why would making a kid who turns into a superhero not work? little kids would have something to relate to. grownups would be able to relate to being big kids when watching it. seems like a win win.