Friday, September 5, 2014

Casting Shazam

Today, we will look at the top contenders to play the Wizard Shazam.




Christopher Lee
Why he should be cast: A movie icon. Very obvious casting and a fan favorite.
Why he should not get cast: At 92, he may be a little too old for the role, and for sequels the role may need to be recast.
Conclusion: Due to his age, and the fact he already did a wizard character in the Harry Potter movies, I doubt New Line will give him serious consideration.
(Update: Christopher Lee passed away on June 7, 2015.)



Max von Sydow
Why he should be cast: Like Lee, a very obvious choice and a movie icon.
Why he should not get cast: At 85, he's younger than Lee, but still may be too old to hold the role for a franchise.
Conclusion: Considering he has been cast in the next "Star Wars" movie, he may be unavailable.


F. Murray Abraham
Why he should get cast: He's the right age, has the look, and is talented.
Why he should not get cast: No real reason.
Conclusion: Definitely a strong contender.



Christopher Lloyd
Why he should be cast: He looks the part, a great actor, and would be a very unique choice. He has also appeared in more comic book/comic strip/cartoon based movies than any other actor.
Why he should not get cast: Might make Shazam a little too quirky.
Conclusion:  In just the last few days, a lot of buzz has begun swarming around him. He just might be the one to keep an eye on.



Michael Keaton
Why he should be cast: An outside of the box choice, even more so than Lloyd. A brilliant actor who would have an amazing take on the character. Just imagine Shazam with those Keaton eyebrows.
Why he should not get cast: At the end of the day, he's Batman.
Conclusion: Without a doubt an off beat choice that could pay off big. I see Keaton and Lloyd linked. If New Line decides to go in this direction, I think they will offer it to one, and if he refuses, they will go to the other.
(UPDATE: Keaton has defected to the MCU, in Spider-Man: Homecoming, making it highly unlikely he will be available for Shazam.)



Alan Alda
Why he should get cast: a TV icon who would give the role dignity and heart.
Why he should not get cast: he may feel doing a superhero movie is beneath him.
Conclusion: Personally, I want Alda to play Grampa Freeman, but I could see him as Shazam just as well.



Omar Sharif
Why he should be cast: Perfect for the role. A movie icon and actually Egyptian.
Why he should not get cast: His age, 82, may play a factor, though not to the extent of the elder Lee and von Syndow.
Conclusion: The best actor for the role, but will his age hurt his chances?
(Update: Omar Sharif passed away on July 10, 2015.)

3 comments:

MandaBear said...

The role should go to Omar Sharif... but dang, now that you put Keaton out there, he would would be mind-blowing.

KC said...

Wouldn't they be more inclined to cast the wizard Shazam based on the Black African current ("New 52") version of the character?

Reg said...

If you notice, the "new 52" is really just being used as fodder for the direct-to-DVD animated films. The live action theatrical movies, and even the TV shows, are ignoring the "New52", and I expect the Shazam film makers to do likewise.