Shazam! Trailer Shows DC's Funny, Lighter Side – San Diego Comic-Con 2018

At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Warner Bros. had a surprise in store for DC fans: a teaser trailer for Shazam!, its upcoming superhero film starring Zachary Levi (Chuck) in the lead. The film centres on a 14-year-old foster kid named Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who can transform into the adult superhero Shazam by shouting the character's name.

The first Shazam! trailer sets the stage for the superhero film, telling us that Billy has run away from six foster homes. He then gets placed with a new family, where he meets Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), a disabled kid who's a superhero enthusiast. After standing up to bullies at school, Billy runs into a subway stop and soon finds himself in the lair of an ancient wizard, who asks him to say his name.

Granted powers, Billy reveals himself to Freddy and the two start to test out his powers, including superhuman strength, limited flight capabilities, and being bulletproof, having tons of fun along the way. It's clear from the first teaser that this is a much different DC universe film, starkly in contrast to the grittiness of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League.

Directed by David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) off a script by Henry Gayden, Shazam! also stars Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou (as the ancient wizard), Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans, Lotta Losten, and Ross Butler.

Shazam! is slated to release April 5, 2019 in India and across the world. It'll be the seventh instalment in the as-yet flailing DC universe, after Aquaman in December this year – which also got a first trailer at Comic-Con – and followed by Wonder Woman 1984 in November 2019.