Warner Bros. first began developing a Shazam! movie in the mid-2000s, but the failure of the lighthearted Speed Racer and the success of the gritty The Dark Knight convinced the studio to scrap Shazam! and focus on dark, gloomy blockbusters. Then, almost a decade later, the relative failure of the dark and gloomy Batman v Superman convinced the studio to focus on more lighthearted fare.
So, the Shazam! project was revived with David F. Sandberg in the director’s chair. Before Zachary Levi and Djimon Hounsou were cast as Shazam and the Wizard, respectively, a number of other actors were considered.
Shazam: John Cena
Early in Shazam!’s development, director David F. Sandberg met with John Cena about possibly playing the title character. However, as the filming schedule clashed with Bumblebee, Cena had to turn down the role.
The former wrestler would eventually go on to the DC Extended Universe in a different role, Peacemaker, who he’ll play in The Suicide Squad and a subsequent spin-off streaming series.
Wizard: Ron Cephas Jones
Ron Cephas Jones was the first choice to play the Wizard in Shazam! and he even accepted the offer to play the part. However, he eventually had to drop out because the shoot clashed with that of This is Us.
So, the role ended up going to Djimon Hounsou instead. Hounsou is one of the few actors to appear in both the DCEU and the MCU, as he’d previously appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy and Captian Marvel.
Shazam: Zane Holtz
Zane Holtz screen-tested to play Shazam before Zachary Levi was cast. Holtz is best known for playing Richie Gecko – the role first played by Quentin Tarantino – in Robert Rodriguez’s TV adaptation of From Dusk Till Dawn.
Holtz currently stars as K.O. Kelly in the Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene on The CW. He’s also set to make a guest appearance as his Katy Keene character in a fifth-season episode of the flagship series.
Wizard: Tony Shalhoub
The producers of Shazam! considered Tony Shalhoub for the role of the Wizard before casting Djimon Hounsou. Shalhoub is primarily a TV actor, having starred in Wings, Monk, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
But he’s no stranger to big-budget movies like Shazam!, having appeared in Men in Black, Spy Kids, and the most recent batch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies.
Shazam: Parker Young
Parker Young screen-tested for the title role in Shazam! before Zachary Levi was cast. Young is best known for playing the jock Ryan in Suburgatory. He also appeared in the dark comedy series Imposters on Bravo.
In addition to TV acting, Young has done modeling work for such iconic fashion brands as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.
Wizard: Alan Alda
Alan Alda will never play a role more iconic than Hawkeye Pierce, the wisecracking chief surgeon he played on M*A*S*H, one of the highest-rated series in TV history. But he was almost introduced to a whole new audience as the Wizard in Shazam! when the producers considered him for the role.
Last year, instead of appearing in Shazam!, Alda gave an acclaimed ing performance in Marriage Story and won the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, so everything worked out.
Shazam: Jake McDorman
Before David F. Sandberg discovered Zachary Levi, Jake McDorman did a screen test for the role of Shazam. McDorman is best known for playing the lead role in the TV adaptation of the Bradley Cooper movie Limitless.
He also played Mike Pratt in Showtime’s remake of Shameless and the title character’s son Avery in the 2018 revival of Murphy Brown.
Wizard: F. Murray Abraham
David F. Sandberg considered a fellow Hollywood creative with an “F” initial in their name for the role of the Wizard. F. Murray Abraham is one of the most revered actors in the world, with a career spanning decades. Best known for his Oscar-winning turn in Amadeus, Abraham has appeared in such varied works as Scarface, Inside Llewyn Davis, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Abraham currently stars in Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, an Apple TV+ comedy series from It’s Always Sunny alums Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Megan Ganz.
Shazam: Billy Magnussen
Billy Magnussen has quickly made a name for himself in the past couple of years with ing roles in Into the Woods, Velvet Buzzsaw, Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin, and the Bond movie No Time to Die. He was once under consideration for the role of Shazam.
Based on the bubbly comic energy of his performance in Game Night, Magnussen probably would’ve made a great Shazam, but Zachary Levi turned out to be the perfect choice.
Wizard: Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton was considered for the role of the Wizard. Keaton, of course, is no stranger to comic book movie roles, having made the genre viable for blockbusters when he played Bruce Wayne in two Batman movies directed by Tim Burton.
Keaton has also played the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming and poked fun at the rise of superhero cinema in the Oscar-winning dark comedy Birdman.
