Just a few minutes ago, EW shared the news that a pivotal role in Shazam! was quietly cast and no one knew about it until now.
While Djimon Hounsou, who is best known for his work in films like Amistad and Blood Diamond, is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain Marvel (reprising his role of Korath from Guardians of the Galaxy), he’ll now join the ranks of actors who have stepped foot in both the Marvel and DC worlds, as he will now be playing the Wizard who grants Billy Batson his powers in next year’s Shazam!.
While originally, that character was known as Shazam…in the rebooted New 52 continuity upon which this movie is clearly based, the wizard’s name is Mamaragan (as we learned during The Darkseid War event), but presumably in this movie he’ll just be called The Wizard.
Ron Cephas Jones was in talks for the role a few months back, but due to scheduling conflicts he had to drop out of the role, paving the way for Hounsou to step in.
Oh, he also played Papa Midnite in Constantine, so really…this guy just can’t stay away from comic book roles!
I still think it’s pretty funny that Captain Marvel and Shazam! are coming out within spitting distance of each other, and now they share an actor. There sure are going to be a lot of explainers about the legal history of the Captain Marvel name by mainstream outlets in our near future.
Geoff Johns SHAZAM is horrible. Even though they are using elements of the new 52, let’s hope it captures the magic of what Captain Marvel use to be. The wonder of a kid turning into a Superhero and not some snotty teenager who isn’t likable
To be fair, this was known months ago. When watching Luke Cage Season 2, I looked up Hounsou on Wikipedia to find out more of his work, and it was already stated on Wikipedia that he was cast as Shazam, so this wasn’t actually something that was just revealed.
That’s weird Heath, as I had to hop over to his Wikipedia myself right when this news was announced and it wasn’t there. Very strange!
Prepare yourselves for the teeming masses of comic fandom to be angry that a black man dare be allowed to portray an ancient Wizard who lived in the Middle East.
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