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Breaking Down the First Shazam! Trailer


Warner Bros. took over Hall H on Saturday at Comic-Con International in San Diego, and while many fans were thrilled to get new or first looks at films such as The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the real highlight was the DC portion of the panel.

Of course, this is largely because fans were treated to the very first trailer for next year’s Shazam!, and we here at Epicstream have combed through the footage to provide you with a full breakdown. Check it out:

  1. Billy Batson, Problem Child

    “You’ve run from foster homes in six counties,” we hear as the trailer begins. Much like his comic book counterpart, Billy Batson is an orphan, but the film is borrowing more from his New 52 origin, where he was also a bit of a troublemaker. Well, maybe he’s more than just a bit of a troublemaker, as we also see him apparently stealing a car.

  2. Freddy Freeman

    Upon arriving at his new foster home, Billy is introduced to Freddy Freeman, who’s not only Billy’s best friend in the comics but also Captain Marvel Jr. However, the film doesn’t appear to be heading in that direction just yet, so instead, but we do witness the budding friendship between the two foster children.

  3. Ties to the Greater DCEU

    After bringing up the subject of superpowers, we learn that Freddy is something of a superhero junkie, as well as an avid collector of superhero memorabilia. On his desk, we see a replica of one of Batman’s batarangs, while in his drawer, there are a number of newspaper clippings spanning through the entirety of Superman’s in-universe career.

  4. The Subway Car

    After fleeing from the bullies he just assaulted, Billy takes refuge on the subway, which is a moment that’s practically ripped straight from the comics. Once he’s on the train, Billy is transported to the Rock of Eternity where he meets the ancient wizard named Shazam.

  5. ‘Say My Name’

    Speaking of Shazam, we meet him in the very next scene as Billy exits the subway car. “Say my name so my powers may flow through you,” Shazam tells Billy. Then, upon doing so, we finally see the young Billy Batson transform into the incredibly New 52-accurate looking Captain Mar--err, we mean Shazam! 

  6. Testing His Limits

    If you suddenly became a superhero, would you want to test your abilities? Well, that’s exactly what Shazam does, thanks to a little help from Freddy. While the Big Red Cheese’s super-strength is already on point, though, he clearly still needs some practice when it comes to flight.

  7. Enter Dr. Sivana

    After toying around with his newfound abilities for a bit, Shazam finally meets his match in the form of Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. Realizing he’s a bad guy, Shazam tries to throw a punch but much to his surprise, the unimposing looking Sivana catches his fist. This is also a nod to the New 52, as it wasn’t until then that Sivana was depicted as having magic powers and being able to go toe-to-toe with Shazam. s

  8. ‘Sup? I’m a Superhero’

    Unlike his altruistic predecessor, the New 52 Billy Batson/Shazam was arrogant, especially in his early days as a hero. Here, we get another taste of that arrogance as Shazam brags to a woman about his status as a superhero while carrying an armful of junk food he claimed as a “reward” for stopping a convenience store robbery.

    Shazam! hits theaters April 5, 2019.

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