Djimon Hounsou Cast as the Wizard in Shazam!

Djimon Hounsou was quietly cast in David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!, to play the 3,000-year-old Wizard from Ancient Egypt, who gives Billy Batson (Angel Asher) his powers to become the superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi). 

As previously reported actor Ron Cephas Jones was in talks for the role, but according to Entertainment Weekly, it didn’t happen due to conflicts with his schedule and since then Hounsou was actually the one who ended up filming as Wizard during the movie production.

In the original comics, the Wizard was the one who was named Shazam, while the superhero Billy Batson transformed into, was named Captain Marvel.

Those names were later changed when DC Comics launched the New 52, but Shazam! director, David F. Sandberg back in January of this year, confirmed that the Wizard’s name will be like in the original comics.

Shazam! hits theaters on April 5, 2019.

Source: EW.com