Shazam! star Adam Brody commented on the theory of his casting being a throwback to his intended role in George Miller’s canceled Justice League Mortal film.
Before landing the role of Freddy Freeman’s adult superhero alter-ego in the Shazam! movie, Adam Brody was cast as Barry Allen/The Flash in George Miller’s Justice League Mortal. However, the project was ultimately canceled and Adam Brody was never able to don the Scarlet Speedster’s costume on screen.
Of course, Adam Brody received another chance to portray a superhero when he was cast as the adult version of Freddy Freeman for the climactic finale of Shazam!, a decision some fans believed was a deliberate nod to his role in Justice League: Mortal, especially considering his would-be co-star in the George Miller film, D.J. Cotrona, also landed a role as a member of the Marvel Family. However, Adam Brody confirmed that he did not land the Shazam! role due to his connection to Justice League: Mortal during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:
I’ve also been asked if it was at all purposeful to cast me and D.J. Cotrona because we were in Justice League: Mortal…. Fuck no, it was a great coincidence, but in no way was there any forethought about that. From what you’ve just said, I’ve heard that reaction a lot. I’ve seen it on Twitter a lot. A lot of people have watched that movie and felt, “When is Seth Cohen going to show up?” It seems to be a good thing. From what I’ve heard or gathered, it’s a very nice match, and in fact, a lot of people seem to be patting themselves on the back for guessing — in a good way.”
Adam Brody also seemingly confirmed that he intends to return for the Shazam! sequel. Would you like to see Adam Brody return as the adult Freddy Freeman? How do you think Adam Brody would have fared as The Flash in Justice League Mortal? Let us know in the comments section!
A Shazam! sequel is currently in development with Zachary Levi set to reprise the titular role. Henry Gayden, who wrote the first movie, is set to pen the screenplay for the sequel and David F. Sandberg is expected to return to the director’s chair. In the meantime, fans can rewatch Zachary Levi’s first Shazam! film on all home media formats.
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).
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 Djimon Hounsou.
Shazam! is now available on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter