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Actor Alan Ritchson has seemingly confirmed he’s playing Shazam opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the movie of the same name. In a response to a fan on Twitter (via CBM) asking whether he is playing Billy Batson’s alter-ego, Ritchson simply responded with, “yup!”
The 31 year-old actor once played another DC character, Aquaman, in The CW’s Smallville. Other acting credentials of his include The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, (Gloss) and the recent TMNT reboots (Raphael). Rumours began circulating not too long ago that Channing Tatum would be playing Shazam, after his Gambit movie fell through.
@twhitt126 yup!
— Alan Ritchson (@alanritchson) September 15, 2016
It has been a while since we’ve heard anything regarding the Shazam! movie. Two years ago Dwayne Johnson revealed he would be playing Black Adam in the movie, Shazam’s nemesis. Johnson will also be acting as a producer on the movie. Bill Birch is said to be writing the screenplay alongside Geoff Johns, too. Besides that; however, not much as been said. With the film scheduled for a 2019 release, it makes sense that things are relatively quiet right now.
Speaking to Newsweek back in August, Dwayne Johnson’s producing partner and manager, Dany Garcia, said the film is in the early stages. She said:
“We’re getting [script] drafts in… it’s important to make sure we get the tone right for Black Adam, which is Dwayne’s part. We don’t mind taking our time. We’re being very careful with each act and scene to go back and layer in as much as possible.
“I think by the time we land with [Shazam!] we’ll fit nicely within the world that’s been created, but not such a shorthand relationship. [It’ll be] enough that people say, ‘Oh, this is within the family,’ but the culture will be a little different.”
In regards to how concrete Ritchson’s tweet is, at this stage it’s difficult to say. His direct, one word response seems to suggest it is nailed on. However, until official world comes from Warner Bros., take it with a pinch of salt.
Shazam! is slated to release on April 5th, 2019.
Image: DC Comics
