After a spectacularly rocky start, it seems the DC superhero movie universe is finally beginning to figure out where it fits next to—and competes with—the MCU. The dour, rushed trio of Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Justice League gave the impression of a franchise stalling before it even left the ground. But in the past two years, Wonder Woman and the gorgeous guilty pleasure Aquaman have pointed things in a new direction.
But the boldest experiment yet is Shazam! A truly funny, warm movie based on one of the goofiest characters to grace the cover of a long-running comic book series. Originally called Captain Marvel, later renamed for obvious reasons, Shazam himself isn't an ordinary superhero, but a 14-year-old boy who becomes a ripped adult-presenting caped crusader the moment he says the magic word—you guessed it—"Shazam!"
Asher Angel and Zachary Levi both take on the character of Billy Batson, the boy granted with powers super strength, flight, and the ability to harness lightning bolts, thanks to a spell gifted to him by an ancient wizard (it's a whole thing). Both actors find the heart of Batson, an orphan living in a foster home, perpetually looking for a means to escape and fend for himself. Levi, granted, was not the obvious choice for a flagship superhero movie character, but he's perfect for the wide-eyed, giddy awe of a teen discovering he is, for all intents and purposes, suddenly Superman.
Stealing the show, though, is Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, one of Billy's fellow foster kids. Grazer already stole It: Chapter One as Eddie, the foul-mouthed kid hunted down by Pennywise, and he gets even more of a platform in Shazam! to firmly cement himself as a future star. Freddy acts as Billy's introduction to the lore of superheroes, eventually becoming Shazam's manager, uploading clips of his feats of strength and bravery to YouTube to generate public awareness and, occasionally, profit. I mean, they are kids. A clever, gentle touch throughout the movie is Freddy's wardrobe, which at times includes an Aquaman t-shirt, a Superman one, and a Wonder Woman one. Shazam! doesn't lay it on too thick, but this is a world in which superheroes exist, in which the Justice League has been formed and is out there somewhere. Billy's transformation into Shazam suddenly causes both boys to realize their dreams of escaping their mundane existence, Freddy to wherever the Justice League keeps their lair, Billy, to, well, anywhere but where he is.
The host of kids rounding out the foster home are all wonderful, and come into play in a bigger way than expected. Faithe Herman as the talkative preteen Darla is a particular delight, and gets a couple of star-making moments too good to spoil here.
Of course, the regular superhero movie beats must be hit. Mark Strong, ever a serviceable bad guy, puts in a fair shift as Dr. Sivana, a longtime foe of Shazam's in the comics, who channels the energy of the Seven Deadly Sins, all of whom reside in his right eye (again, it's a whole thing). The action denouement is overlong and has a false start and a false finish too many, but the payoff is worth it and, dare I say, unique, even in this age of a new big-budget superhero movie every other month.
As formulaic as it may be in its basic structure, Shazam! finds new ways to unpack and play around with the typical origin story, with some surprisingly deep emotional beats tied to Billy's search for his "real" family. This might be DC's most successful movie yet, and one that seems to be establishing its own pocket of a universe, rather than trying to barge into the one populated by Batman and his brooding friends. A mid-credits scene introduces a new villain for the inevitable sequel, a villain whose appearance is so astoundingly goofy and inexplicable I thought it was some kind of joke at first. With all this "fuck it, let's have fun" energy Shazam! embraces, it's hard not to think Shazam would struggle to fit in with the "get shit done" Justice League. Then again, that's kind of the point of him, isn't it?