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The DC Extended Universe has had a couple of bona-fide hits in the past couple years with Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Now with Shazam! hitting theaters this weekend, DC is surely hoping to continue that trend with a fun new superhero film. I caught an advance showing a couple of weeks ago — read on to see what Shazam! is all about. Note: There are no spoilers in this article beyond what has already been shown or referenced in trailers, ads, and merchandise. Nothing mentioned in the details below will spoil a major plot point.
1. What should I know going in?
Shazam is a superhero in the DC pantheon with some powers similar to Superman: flight, super-strength and super-speed, and an ability to manipulate electricity. His powers are magic-based: a wizard grants teenage orphan Billy Batson the ability to transform into a superhero by simply saying the wizard’s name: “Shazam!” When transformed, he is granted the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury (hence the name Shazam, an acronym). The movie itself is an origin story, and it does a good job of explaining how Billy Batson becomes Shazam, as well as the origin of Dr. Sivana, the film’s main villain. You don’t have to have any background with the characters or…
