Sandwiched between the other Captain Marvel and potentially the biggest superhero movie ever in Avengers: Endgame, DC adapted Shazam! into a quirky action-comedy starring Zachary Levi as a muscular teenager turned superhero. Although borrowing heavily from 80s comedies like Big, David F. Sandberg’s film feels like a breath of fresh air after the slew of fun albeit safe superhero flicks released over the last decade.
Following Aquaman and Wonder Woman, Shazam! marks another success story in the DC Extended Universe. The days of mocking Superman and Batman’s parent company have come and gone! Combined with Sony’s brilliant Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the superhero subgenre is no longer a one-horse race.
Who exactly is Billy Batson? Why did this strange character earn a solo film adaptation before the Flash or technically Batman? Going through various name changes, Shazam has been around for nearly a century. Originating in the early 1940s, Billy has been protecting Philadelphia from wicked evildoers for longer than most people have been alive. Although only appearing for an episode, Billy goes toe to toe with Superman in Justice League Unlimited, which still ranks among the best DC adaptations of all time. The friendly hero has quite an impressive track record and deserves to be respected!
Shazam! is filled to the brim with little references to the DC Extended Universe and the comics. Some are obvious, some require close examinations, and a few are for those two fans intimately familiar with Billy’s entire history. Here are 30 things everyone completely missed in Shazam!
Please Note: Spoilers for Shazam! will be included!
30 Gee Whiz (Comics)
Although the majority of the narrative takes place in the present day, Billy drops a couple of old-timey phrases harboring back to the character’s innocent beginnings. At one point, Batson pulls out the classic “Gee Whiz,” a term that practically screams the 1950s. Besides complimenting the movie’s comedic tone and fondness for nostalgia, this saying is also a shoutout to Whiz Comics #2, the first comic to feature Shazam!
At the time, Billy fought under a different pseudonym; however, his personality has largely remained intact since the 1940s. There is no point improving upon perfection.
29 Shazam’s Co-Creator
Superhero movies love to show admiration for comic book artists responsible for paving the road to 2019. Stan Lee is the obvious example, but Marvel’s iconic creator is far from the only important name in comics. A cartoonist primarily recognized for his work with Fawcett Publications, C.C. Beck, drew the original Shazam and essentially established the character’s style. Considering Billy’s design has barely changed over the years, Beck clearly was a master of his craft.
In the movie, Billy’s father is named C.C. Batson. Putting aside the fact the dude is in prison, Shazam! includes a respectful nod to an influential contributor.
28 Captain (Not) Marvel
Carol Danvers is far from the original Captain Marvel; in fact, Marvel cannot even claim to be the first to employ this particular moniker. Prior to assuming the name of Shazam, Billy fought under Captain Marvel. Whiz Comics #2’s title is “Introducing Captain Marvel.”
Annoyed by the fact Captain Marvel was outperforming Superman, DC took Fawcett to court in an attempt to squash the competition. DC won out and Captain Marvel disappeared for a few decades. Later on, Marvel bought the rights to the name to ensure nobody else could employ the Captain.
27 Tawky Tawny, The Tiger
One of Billy’s first scenes consists of a flashback to a carnival fair were the kid asks his mother to win a tiger from a booth. During the final fight, Shazam hands a stuffed tiger to calm down a frightened girl. If superhero movies have thought us anything, there is no way something will be mentioned multiple times without a reason.
Tawky Tawny started life as the Marvel Family’s doll before magic happened and transformed the inanimate object into a stylishly dressed anthropomorphic tiger. The DC Extended Universe is unlikely to properly introduce Tawky as a character, therefore a reference is better than nothing!
26 Black Adam
Black Adam scoring a mention was almost expected. Along with being Billy’s greatest rival and worst enemy, Black Adam is rumored to be portrayed by Dwayne Johnson in future films. Permitting Shazam! does not flop at the box office, Warner Bros. is likely to pursue other projects featuring Billy Batson. At one point or another, Black Adam has to make an appearance.
Djimon Hounsou’s the Wizard references a former champion who turned rogue and left the Circle of Eternity in tatters. Although not cited by name, this brief history lesson is undoubtedly about Black Adam.
25 A Date To Remember
Now, in truth, this entry is likely a coincidence rather than a deliberate callback. However, sometimes the sound of hooves signals the arrival of zebras rather than horses. Focusing on Dr. Thaddeus Sivana’s childhood, Shazam! opens with a scene set in 1974 before jumping forward to the present day.
Does this specific year hold any significance for Fawcett’s superhero? 1974 coincided with the launch of the Shazam! TV series, which lasted for three seasons. Was this intentional? Probably not, but it is a fun coincidence anyway.
24 The (Sort Of) Sinful Old Champion
Shazam credits Black Adam with the formation of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the comics, the Circle of Eternity’s original champion joins the dark side following the untimely passing of his family. Manipulated by Blaze into becoming the thing he once fought, Black Adam is eventually trapped in the Amulet of Greed.
Billy fights Black Adam’s ancestor, who gains the villain’s powers after obtaining the amulet. Neither Adams are responsible for the group, although the former champion does occasionally free the monsters. The New 52 altered Black Adam’s backstory.
23 Power Boy
Power Boy is one of the many aliases proposed by Freddy. Billy rejects basically every name but objects profusely to this specific recommendation. Now, in all fairness, Power Boy is more befitting of a side-kick than the main hero. Perhaps, Billy’s resistance is solely a byproduct of this train of thought.
Power Boy is also a common name in DC. Focusing solely on the comics, there have been at least three Power Boys, with the last temporarily joining the Teen Titans during the mid-2000s. Power Boys tend to not last long or leave much of a lasting impression.
22 Jebediah Of Canaan
Shazam does not refer to a single hero. Sort of like Captain Marvel, various people have assumed the pseudonym across history. Billy Batson merely happens to be the one featured in a comic series. Born thousands of years prior to the events of the movie, the Wizard bestows his powers to Billy out of desperation.
Before he accepted the title of Shazam, the Wizard was a simple shepherd named Jebediah. Like 95% of heroes and villains, Jebediah’s road to godhood began with the unfortunate demise of his parents. Bruce Wayne turned to bats, Jebediah sought out the gods. Long story short, the deities answered the shepherd’s prayers.
21 The Circle Of Eternity
Shazam! sticks quite close to the source material. Billy Batson’s superpowers are tied to the Circle of Eternity, seven powerful beings in charge of protecting a specific region of Earth. In order to create the ultimate hero, they decide to transfer their powers into a solitary vessel. Unfortunately, Black Adam proves to be a pretty terrible pick.
Shazam! accurately depicts the Circle of Eternity. In the comics, the Wizard is the only one to really receive a significant amount of page time and the same can be said about the movie.
20 A BIG Reference
Shazam! is essentially Big but with a superhero replacing Tom Hanks. So, it is basically just a remake of Big. Putting aside the plot’s obvious similarities, one scene contains an especially blatant callback to the classic comedy. During Billy’s first encounter against Dr. Sivana, the pair burst through a number of stores before landing in a toy shop. Then, they step on a keyboard laid out on the floor.
Could the reference be any more obvious? People who have never watched Big are familiar with the keyboard dance. The scene is cinematic royalty.
19 A Door To The Wildlands
Stuff happens and the Marvel Family stumble their way into the Rock of Eternity, the same place where the Wizard grants Billy his powers. Gaining access to this magical realm requires scribbling certain symbols on a door and praying you are deemed worthy to enter. Attempting to escape from a Dr. Sivana empowered with the Seven Deadly Sins, the teenagers find a room filled with doors connecting to different worlds.
One of the gateways leads to an apartment occupied by three crocodiles. Comic fans may recognize this world as the Wildlands from Shazam! #4.
18 Freddy’s Crutch
Freddy Freeman’s backstory is simultaneously accurate and totally off the mark. The teenager is Billy’s best friend in the comics and the movie, while their dynamic plays out mostly in the same way. On the other hand, Freddy goes from an all-star student in the comics to an ignored and bullied outsider in the movie.
Jack Dylan Grazer is on a crutch for the entire flick, which is not done solely to build sympathy for the character. In the comics, Freddy winds up seriously injured and joins the Shazam Family in order to save his life.
17 Mary Marvel
Billy joins a group home housing a number of orphans. Along with Freddy, Victor and Rosa are the guardians of the talkative Darla, the shy Pedro, the tech-savvy Eugene, and the motherly Mary. While each character features in the comics, Mary plays a far more significant role than her foster brothers and sister.
Introduced in 1994’s The Power of Shazam!, Mary started out as Billy’s biological twin sister and fought crime under the alias of Mary Marvel. Unlike the Captain, DC is free to utilize Mary Marvel without drawing the stink eye from a close rival.
16 New 52
DC infamously rebooted its universe in 2011’s New 52, a move that tends to be regarded with derision by quite a number of readers. Ultimately, this experiment ended its run after less than five years, although a few lingering traces remain. While not exactly a key player in the New 52, Billy Batson received a modernized backstory to complement the more ambiguous tone established by this timeline.
Shazam! is based primarily on the New 52 version of the character. Luckily, Billy fared better than most during this period.
15 Hadouken
Eugene’s quirk is video games. Consequently, Eugene is the film’s best character. Okay, that is not true, but the kid has a couple of funny lines and a genuinely memorable moment.
Huge spoiler incoming! You have been warned!
Outnumbered by the Seven Deadly Sins, Billy shares his powers with the other orphans to create the Shazam Family. Equipped with the same lightning powers as Billy, Eugene fires an electric beam while yelling Ryu’s Hadouken. Mortal Kombat’s Raiden is also referenced earlier in the movie.
14 Holy Moley! That Is One Super Catchphrase Mister!
Shazam’s two main running gags are directly inspired by the character’s comic history. As a nod to the hero’s Captain Marvel roots, Freddy and Billy tryout a number of potential superhero names but stop just short of calling out Carol Danvers. The second gag involves Shazam’s inability to utter a marketable catchphrase.
As Captain Marvel, Billy gained a reputation for spewing wholesome taglines fitting of a child’s interpretation of the world. Although 2019’s movie is surprisingly irreverent, the filmmakers did not forget Shazam’s youthful origins.
13 Galaxy Broadcasting System
Shazam is not merely a coming of age story. DC’s movie serves as a love letter to the 1980s, pays homage to Fawcett Comics’ Captain Marvel, and even finds time to engage in a touch of social commentary. Media companies are constantly featured throughout the narrative; in fact, Freddy grows the hero’s reputation by uploading Billy’s ridiculous stunts on YouTube.
Following a squash match against Dr. Sivana, Billy runs away leaving the villain searching for a hint about the hero’s identity. This arrives in the form of a news story showing Freddy talking to Shazam, which happens to be airing on the Galaxy Broadcasting System. In the comics, the network is linked to Superman and the Daily Planet.
12 The Power Of Gods
Is there any meaning behind the word “Shazam?” Did Fawcett just go with a seemingly catchy phrase? Although marketing presumably played a part, Shazam is an acronym based on the gods empowering Billy Batson.
S stands for Solomon, the historical king blessed with supernatural wisdom. H is for Hercules, the Greek demi-god and minor comic book character. Bestowing Billy with endless endurance, Atlas earns an A. Zeus is synonymous with lightning, so the Z’s origin should come as no surprise. The second A is for the courageous Achilles, while the final letter pays respect to the speedy Mercury.
11 Rocky
Admittedly, Shazam’s Rocky is practically impossible to miss. Billy outright mentions Sylvester Stallone’s boxer by name! Permitting someone did not opt to take a bathroom break, there is no way this Rocky reference slipped by unnoticed. Shazam even takes place in Philadelphia and features a montage of Billy trying to figure out his powers. Switch a few things around and Shazam could pass for a Rocky remake.
A slightly subtler reference is found in the soundtrack. While staging a street show on the Rocky Steps, Eye of the Tiger is the song playing in the background.
