History Trivia / Shazam2019

* Director Creator/DavidFSandberg (along with his ProductionPosse Creator/GraceFulton, Andi Osho and his wife Lotta Losten) and Creator/MeaganGood (who plays [[spoiler:Darla's superheroine alter ego]]) had both each previously worked on ''Film/Aquaman2018'' director Creator/JamesWan-produced horror films. Sandberg directed ''Film/LightsOut2016'' (with Osho and Losten) and ''Film/AnnabelleCreation'' (with Fulton and Losten), while Good appeared in ''Film/SawV'' (which also features Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse voice actors Creator/ScottPatterson, who himself voiced TheCommissionerGordon in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight'', and Creator/MarkRolston, who himself also appeared on ''Series/LoisAndClark'').

* PlayingAgainstType:
** Creator/DavidFSandberg's previous Hollywood pictures were ''Film/{{Lights Out|2016}}'' and ''Film/AnnabelleCreation'', which are both NoBudget horror films. ''Shazam!'', in contrast, is a better-funded blockbuster and is the most {{light|er and softer}}hearted film of the DCEU (and of Sandberg's career) so far, although the actions and appearance of the SevenDeadlySins do contribute some NightmareFuel.
** In the Japanese dub, Creator/MegumiOgata's role as Billy goes somewhat meta for her, as she seldom works in foreign dubs, being her most recent dubbing job was voicing ADA in the Japanese version of ''VideoGame/{{Ingress}}'' (and also in the animated adaptation), and before that, her other dubbing jobs dates backs from the 2000s, being the Japanese dub of ''Film/{{Hackers}}'' the last live-action dub she ever did before this film.

** Creator/GraceFulton plays Mary Bromfield who is a high school senior, thus a few years younger than her real age (early 20s).

* AbilityOverAppearance: Creator/ZacharyLevi did bulk up properly for the role of the main hero, but even with that effort his build and features aren't quite what you'd expect for an old-fashioned superhero. No one seems to be lamenting him as being miscast, however, as fans and critics alike have given him high praise for very effectively capturing the essence of a teenage boy suddenly turned into an adult FlyingBrick.

* ProductionPosse: Sandberg has cast Creator/GraceFulton, Andi Osho and his wife Lotta Losten. Both Fulton and Losten appeared in ''Annabelle: Creation'' before, and Lotta Losten and Andi Osho also played in ''Lights Out''.

* RelationshipVoiceActor: Many of them in the Japanese dub:
** From ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': Shazam (Masaki Suda) and [[Creator/DaisukeSakaguchi Freddy]] are the Live-action and animated versions of [[Manga/{{Gintama}} Shinpachi Shimura]], while [[Creator/TomokazuSugita The Wizard Shazam]] is Gintoki Sakata, [[Creator/AyaHirano Mary]] is Nobume Imai and [[Creator/TakehitoKoyasu Doctor Sivana]] is Shinsuke Takasugi.
** From ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': [[Creator/MegumiOgata Billy]], [[Creator/TakehitoKoyasu Doctor Sivana]] and [[Creator/KotonoMitsuishi Rosa]] are Shinji Ikari, Shigeru Aoba, and Misato Katsuragi.
** From ''Anime/YuYuHakusho'': [[Creator/MegumiOgata Billy]] and [[Creator/TakehitoKoyasu Doctor Sivana]] are Kurama and Asato Kido (plus Jyaki).
** From ''Anime/SailorMoon'': [[Creator/MegumiOgata Billy]] and [[Creator/KotonoMitsuishi Rosa]] are Haruka Tennou/Sailor Uranus and Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino.
** From ''Manga/LuckyStar'': [[Creator/AyaHirano Mary]], [[Creator/AyaEndo Darla]], [[Creator/DaisukeOno Freddy]] [[spoiler:as a super hero]] and [[Creator/TomokazuSugita The Wizard Shazam]] are Konata Izumi, Miyuki Takara, Daisuke Ono and Clerk Sugita.
** From ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'': [[Creator/AyaHirano Mary]] and [[Creator/TomokazuSugita The Wizard Shazam]] are Haruhi Suzumiya and Kyon.
** From ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'': [[Creator/AyaHirano Mary]], [[Creator/AyaEndo Darla]] and [[Creator/TomokazuSugita The Wizard Shazam]] are Mina Rosham (plus Nene Rora), Sheryl Nome and Leon Mishima.
** There's a couple of them in the Latin American Spanish dub:
*** Billy (Emilio Treviño), The Wizard (Victor Cobarrubias), Mary (Monserrat Aguilar) and Shazam (Manuel Campuzano) are [[Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins Arthur Pendragon, Twigo, Zeal and Gilthunder]].
*** There is also an ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' reunion with the siblings; Billy (Emilio Treviño), Freddy (José Luis Piedra), Mary [[spoiler:as a super-heroine]] (Leyla Rangel) and Pedro [[spoiler:as a super-hero]] (Creator/VictorUgarte) are Clyde, Lincoln, Luan and Bobby respectively.

** ''Sound'' familiar: French voice actor Creator/DonaldReignoux dubbed both Creator/JesseEisenberg's Lex Luthor and Freddy Freeman's superhero form.

*** Creator/DerekTheler, Creator/JakeMcDorman, Creator/BillyMagnussen, [[Series/{{Imposters}} Parker Young]], Creator/JoshuaSasse and [[Series/FromDuskTillDawn Zane Holtz]] screen-tested for the titular part as well before the casting of Levi.

** Wrestling/JohnCena met with Creator/DavidFSandberg for the role of Comicbook/{{Shazam}} before Creator/ZacharyLevi was cast. However, Cena turned down the offer due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}''. Cena would eventually go on to play Comicbook/{{Peacemaker}} in ''Film/TheSuicideSquad''.

** Wrestling/JohnCena met with Creator/DavidFSandberg for the role of Coicbook/{{Shazam}} before Creator/ZacharyLevi was cast. However, Cena turned down the offer due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}''. Cena would eventually go on to play Comicbook/{{Peacemaker}} in ''Film/TheSuicideSquad''.

** Wrestling/JohnCena met with Creator/DavidFSandberg for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Shazam]] before Creator/ZacharyLevi was cast. However, Cena turned down the offer due to scheduling conflicts with ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}''. Cena would eventually go on to play Comicbook/{{Peacemaker}} in ''Film/TheSuicideSquad''.
*** Creator/DerekTheler, Creator/JakeMcDorman, Creator/BillyMagnussen, [[Series/{{Imposters}} Parker Young]], Creator/JoshuaSasse, and [[Series/FromDuskTillDawn Zane Holtz]] screen-tested for the titular part as well before the casting of Levi.

*** Creator/AlanAlda, Creator/TonyShalhoub, Creator/FMurrayAbraham, and Creator/MichaelKeaton were also considered for the role of the Wizard before the casting of Hounsou.

** [[spoiler: The Shazam Family]] sitting on the thrones. [[spoiler:Mary]] notes that since there's only six of them, one is empty and wonders who it's for. [[spoiler:Darla replies that no matter who it is, that person will automatically be part of the family.]]

** ''Sound'' familiar: French voice actor Creator/DonaldReignoux dubbed both Creator/JesseEisenberg's Lex Luthor and [[spoiler:Freddy Freeman's superhero form.]]

** Brody was previously cast as ComicBook/TheFlash in Creator/GeorgeMiller's unmade ''Justice League: Mortal'', along with D. J. Cotrona (who plays [[spoiler: Superhero Pedro]]) as ComicBook/{{Superman}}.

** Good had previously worked on the horror film ''Film/TheUnborn'', which was written and directed by David S. Goyer, who penned Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse entries ''Film/ManOfSteel'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' which Goyer had also produced, while the film also starred Creator/GaryOldman, who played TheCommissionerGordon in the Goyer-penned ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'', Creator/CarlaGugino, who played Sally Jupiter in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' directed by [=DCEU=] collaborator Creator/ZackSnyder and featuring Creator/PatrickWilson (who played Orm in ''Film/Aquaman2018'') and Creator/BillyCrudup (who played Henry Allen in Snyder's ''Film/JusticeLeague2017'') and Creator/IdrisElba, who is set to appear in the upcoming sequel to ''Film/SuicideSquad2016''.

** Brody was previously cast as ComicBook/TheFlash in Creator/GeorgeMiller's unmade ''Justice League: Mortal'', along with D. J. Cotrona as ComicBook/{{Superman}}.

* FanNickname: "The ''Real'' Captain Marvel" or "The Original Captain Marvel", for the people who aren't fond of the name change. "The Big Red Cheese" gets a lot of out-of-universe play and "Captain Sparklefingers" has stuck quickly as well.
** The term "Shazamily" has been used for Billy and his foster family, [[spoiler:especially considering they all get the powers of Shazam in the climax]].

** ''Sound'' familiar: French voice actor Donald Reignoux dubbed both Creator/JesseEisenberg's Lex Luthor and [[spoiler:Freddy Freeman's superhero form.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: [[WhatCouldHaveBeen/DCExtendedUniverse Enough for its own section on the DCEU’s page]]

* AllStarCast: The Japanese dub consists of well-known actors like Creator/MegumiOgata (Billy), Creator/DaisukeSakaguchi (Freddy), Creator/AyaHirano (Mary), Creator/TakehitoKoyasu (Dr. Sivana), and Masaki Suda as the main, titular character.

** Creator/MarkStrong has been openly enthusiastic about playing Sivana, describing him as an "evil bastard" and saying how those roles are always fun to play. (He has done a DC villain before, playing ComicBook/{{Sinestro}} in ''Film/GreenLantern'').

** An alternate beginning where Thaddeus Sivana is having Christmas lunch with his family (the scene also includes his mother and twin sisters, completely absence in the final cut). Mr. Sivana orders Sid to taking away Thaddeus' magic ball and he runs away in an elevator where he encounters the Wizard Shazam. After not being accepted, he returns to his home, where he receives a fist from Sid.

** Billy Batson, in his Shazam form, has a tea party with Darla.

** A alternative scene of the Thaddeus Sivana's revenge on his family (this time taking place during a Christmas celebration in Sivana's mansion instead of the Sivana Tower).

** The exterior of Sivana Industries' tower is actually the IDS Tower, in Minneapolis, the rest of whose skyline fills out the background of the establishing shot.

* ThrowItIn: The "Detective Moron" and "You're dead" bits were improvised by Zachary Levi.