Dwayne Johnson Teases Shazam Role
It's about time to put those Dwayne Johnson superhero movie rumors to rest — because according to Johnson, one is about to be announced for real.
In a recent interview, Johnson teased an upcoming project involving a DC character with "the power of Superman." He wouldn't say whom exactly it was, but it sounds a whole lot like Shazam. Hit the jump to see what he had to say.
I will say this. There's a character out there that we're going to announce very soon, that I'm going to play. And... I'll just say this. He has the power of Superman. And it's not the Green Lantern by the way. Believe me – John Stewart – he is a character who I wanted to play, but there was already a version of Green Lantern, and so now we've gone in a different direction. But this character has the power of Superman. He can throw down. Just say the word. That's all I'm going to say.
That cryptic last bit is the key here. In the DC Comics, the character Billy Batson turns into the superhero Shazam (once known as Captain Marvel) by uttering the word "Shazam." Not unlike Superman, his powers include flight, super-strength, super-speed, and invulnerability.
Moreover, there have been rumors lately that Warner Bros. / DC wants a Shazam movie for 2016, and Johnson has been linked to the project since way, way back. Though he was linked to play Black Adam at that point, not Shazam.
Of course, this isn't an official confirmation that DC is making a Shazam movie, or that Johnson will lead if they do. Still, Johnson doesn't seem like the type to make stuff up, and this is a pretty massive clue. If he's talking this openly about the project, we can only assume it's all but set. Expect an announcement soon.
Watch the conversation below.