It appears that pre-production for the DC Extended Unvierse’s Shazam film, which will be centered around the DC comics character, Captain Marvel has begun. Fans have known about the Black Adam film, which will focus on the titular and classic Shazam antagonist who will be portrayed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for a while now, and the recent casting of nerd icon Zachary Levi as Captain Marvel have made the film’s impending reality seem closer. Now, an important figure in the Captain Marvel lore has been cast, as it has been announced who will portray the hero’s real identity, the young Billy Batson.

Film director David F. Sandberg shared the news that Disney Channel star Asher Angel has been cast as the young Billy Batson, who obtains the ability to transform into Captain Marvel identity by saying “Shazam” in the upcoming DC comics film. Angel is best known to Disney Channel viewers as Jonah Beck, the love interest of the main character in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack. With this crucial bit of casting done, the film is looking into beginning production in early 2018.

It also appears that Mark Strong, recently seen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, is in talks to portray the film’s villain Doctor Sivana, and Grace Fulton is also being sought after for a lead role. The film certainly seems to be coming along nicely, and will hopefully grow into something strong and solid, like Billy growing up into Shazam himself. What do you guys think about this casting choice for Billy Batson in Shazam? Let us know in the comments below!

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