First Official Look At Zachary Levi In ‘Shazam!’ Is Just As Silly As You Were Expecting

We’ve seen set pictures. We’ve dissected photos of marketing materials. But now, Warner Bros. and DC films have officially released our first look at David Sandberg’s superhero film “Shazam!” And it looks just like what we have seen previously.

Thanks to EW, we have a first look at the film, which is said to have a big presence at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con. The film stars Zachary Levi as the titular character, but it isn’t your typical superhero story. The character of Shazam is actually a young boy, who is given the power to transform himself into a muscle-bound caped crusader. Think “Big” meets “Superman.”

READ MORE: Zachary Levi Feels Sorry For People Who Trash His ‘Shazam!’ Costume

And in the first picture, we get to see that this isn’t your typical DCEU film. The picture shows Jack Dylan Grazer (“IT”) sipping a soda next to the overly bulked up Shazam. The real star of the show, however, is the costume that the superhero wears. Unlike the muted colors of previous DCEU films, the Shazam costume is red. Like very red. And not only that, he wears a white cape, and sports quite a bit of gold trim. Let’s just say if you put him next to the current iteration of Batman, Superman, Aquaman, or Wonder Woman, he would look like a circus clown. But then again, given the story, it sort of makes sense.

“I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that’s something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman,” the director said. “It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I’m going for.”

The big controversy surrounding all the leaked images of the suit comes from the feeling that the muscles are just too fake looking. Obviously, Levi gained some mass to play the superhero, but the suit makes him look like he’s the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“I don’t know if [the suit is] crazy big if you look at some of the others — look at Batman,” said Sandberg.

Either way, the film definitely has a look that it’s going for. This is a stark contrast to the doom and gloom that seem to permeate every inch of the previous DCEU films. Maybe “Shazam!” is just what the doctor ordered for the struggling cinematic universe. Or maybe, this film might be a step too far.

We’ll see what happens when “Shazam!” opens April 5, 2019.