‘Shazam!’ Star Jack Dylan Grazer Talks Ben Affleck’s Batman Replacement & That [SPOILER] Cameo

Shazam Batman Superman Sivana Ben Affleck Jack Dylan Grazer

We recently had the chance to talk to Jack Dylan Grazer for his role as Freddy Freeman in Shazam! and he opened up about that Superman scene in the film and who he’d replace Ben Affleck with as Batman.

Shazam! is now playing in theaters and will take the world by storm with its lighthearted tone and superb performances. The movie is like Big in steroids and Zachary Levi leads the film with a sort of child-like innocence that can only be matched by his amazing co-star Jack Dylan Grazer. The young actor is easily the standout of Shazam! and we got the chance to sit down and chat with him about the movie and a very special Superman cameo.

Superman being in the film should come as no shock as rumors pointed directly at an appearance. While the man in the Superman suit wasn’t Henry Cavill, it was a very cool sight to see the Man of Steel team up with Shazam. The appearance of Superman was very comedic and enjoyable and I would look forward to actually seeing Henry Cavill and Zachary Levi team-up as Superman and Shazam going forward.

Nathaniel Brail: What was the difference between shooting this, and It?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Well there’s a big difference, and there’s also not really a difference. I would say the difference is that, well obviously we’re not fighting a clown in this one. But, one thing I find to be similar, is that group dynamic of relying on one another, in a family, kind of. And a team is better than a whole. I mean, a whole is better than one, so that’s always really important.

Nathaniel Brail: What was the best and worst part of shooting Shazam!?

Jack Dylan Grazer: The best part is just having this opportunity in general. Even auditioning was just mind-blowing. But yeah, that was really, really fun. There was some pressure, having to appeal to the fandom, and that’s a lot. But I’m so thankful to even be a part of this. ’cause I idolized the DCU throughout my entire life. And then to be a part of it so early in my career, it’s just insane.

Nathaniel Brail: Did you guys pull any pranks, or steal anything from the set?

Jack Dylan Grazer: We didn’t steal anything, no. But I really wish I could’ve kept the Bat-a-rang. ‘Cause that was cool. But one time, we were on set, and Asher called me over to talk to me about something. And there was baby powder right next to him. I said, “Asher, look baby powder!” I squeezed it, and a bunch of baby powder came out. I just ran.

Nathaniel Brail: Who was the most fun to work with in Shazam!, and who would you like to work with more, going forward?

Jack Dylan Grazer: The whole ensemble as a whole was just fantastic. They were the best. They were all really kind and genuine, real people, down to earth. And I made some real genuine friends at the end of it. We spent a lot of time together, off and on set, so I really got to know who they were, and we just spent a lot of time bonding, and stuff. So that was pretty important. So, yeah.

Nathaniel Brail: Would you like to see Shazam take on Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam in a future movie?

Jack Dylan Grazer: I would love to see that, more than anything. I think that would be so cool. I don’t even know what they have in store for the future.

Nathaniel Brail: What’s your favorite DC movie?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Anything with Batman. I would say the Tim Burton Batman. There was that franchise or the Christopher Nolan ones.

Nathaniel Brail: Was it hard to keep the secrets of the Shazam! movie?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Yeah, I didn’t want to have a Tom Holland moment, I didn’t want to have things slip out, which it probably has happened before. I did the same thing with It too, ’cause these are major movies with a lot of stuff riding on it. And things that you have to keep secret, ’cause it’s a big surprise for this fandom. There’s a huge fandom surrounding. So there was a little bit of that for sure in that field.

Nathaniel Brail: Did you look to anything for inspiration to play Freddy?

Jack Dylan Grazer: I did a fair share of research. I think I watched one or two episodes of the original TV show, and I tried to read as many of the original comics as I could. I knew I could never top Freddy in what he knew about the superheroes, ’cause he just knows everything there is to know. So, yeah. But I did a pretty great deal of research and understanding of what Freddy’s all about. Also, one of the main things is that, Henry [Gayden], the writer of this script for this film, he did such a fantastic job as well. He really captured what these characters were, and how they interacted with each other, and he put as much as he could of his own creative insight as he could into this script.

Nathaniel Brail: Which major DC character or actor would you like to see Shazam team up with in the future?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Probably Batman, or maybe The Flash? Cause they’re both kids, and they mess around.

Nathaniel Brail: Who would you cast as Batman, now that Ben Affleck’s out?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Me.

Nathaniel Brail: (laughing)

Jack Dylan Grazer: Me, obviously.

Nathaniel Brail: How is it shooting a scene with Superman, with Superman not actually being there?

Jack Dylan Grazer: It’s really cool. I don’t know, just having him involved in the movie is so cool.

Nathaniel Brail: Who is scarier, Dr. Sivana, or Pennywise?

Jack Dylan Grazer: Mark [Strong] is such a sweet guy. They’re both very sweet, Bill [Skarsgard] and Mark are very sweet. I’d probably have to go with Pennywise. He’s … Bill, one of the things he does, five minutes before a take, he’ll take some time and just get in the mind of Pennywise. I don’t know, lurk around and look at people, and show his teeth, and freak out everybody. So that was pretty freaky to witness that.

What do you think of Jack Dylan Grazer’s comments? Have you seen Shazam! already? Sound off in the comments section below.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans, and Ron Cephas Jones. Here is the plot synopsis for Shazam!:

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).

Shazam is now playing in theaters!

Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’

Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.

Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.

Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.

In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.

Ben Barnes

Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.

Ryan Gosling

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.

Armie Hammer

Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.

Richard Madden

Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.

Nathaniel Brail

Nathaniel Brail

Running things at HH. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @NateBrail