15 Actors Perfect for the Role of the Shazam in the DCU

I’ve always been fascinated by Shazam! It’s amazing to think this character started way back in the early days of Fawcett Publications, brought to life by the incredible team of C.C. Beck and Bill Parker. The core idea – a kid named Billy Batson gaining the power to become a grown-up hero simply by saying a magic word – is just so clever! And it’s not just about the powers, which now include things like flying and controlling lightning. What really draws me in are the stories themselves, often focusing on what it means to be part of a family and the challenges of being a teenager *and* a superhero. Seeing Zachary Levi play Shazam and Asher Angel as Billy in movies like ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ – directed by David F. Sandberg and with writing contributions from Henry Gayden – has been fantastic, and it’s great to see New Line Cinema and DC bringing this character to a new generation.

As a DC fan, I’m really excited about how James Gunn and Peter Safran are building this new DC Universe. It seems like they’re planning everything carefully, making sure the different movies and shows feel connected through shared characters, writers, and a consistent style. I think Shazam fits perfectly into this plan – his world of magic and mythology naturally connects him to characters and the vibe of shows like ‘Peacemaker’ and ‘The Suicide Squad,’ which James Gunn is also involved with! It even opens the door to seeing actors from shows like ‘The Boys’ or ‘Reacher’ pop up in the DCU, which would be amazing. Below, they’ve highlighted 15 actors who’d be a great fit, showcasing their experience in action, comedy, and similar projects, along with details about their past work and who they’ve collaborated with.

Alan Ritchson

Alan Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher in the series ‘Reacher’, which is based on the novels by Lee Child and created by Nick Santora. The show follows Reacher, a former military police officer, as he travels the country and exposes criminal plots. Ritchson is also known for his roles in ‘Titans’ (as Hank Hall), created by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti, and ‘Blue Mountain State’ (as Thad Castle), created by Chris Romano and Eric Falconer.

Ritchson has worked on a variety of films, including big action franchises like ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movies. He’s known for roles requiring fight scenes, working well with a cast, and performing stunts, often on large, professionally-produced projects with directors like Francis Lawrence, Michael Bay, Jonathan Liebesman, and Dave Green.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell stars as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in Joseph Kosinski’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ alongside Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. The film, written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, focuses on the intense training and dangerous mission of elite pilots. Powell also leads the cast of Will Gluck’s romantic comedy ‘Anyone But You,’ featuring Sydney Sweeney. The story revolves around two people who pretend to be a couple while attending a wedding.

Glen Powell both wrote and stars in the new film ‘Hit Man,’ directed by Richard Linklater. The movie, based on a true story from a Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth, follows an undercover agent who goes deep into his role by adopting different identities. Adria Arjona also stars, and Linklater co-wrote the script with Powell. Powell also appeared in ‘Devotion,’ a Korean War film directed by J. D. Dillard, alongside Jonathan Majors. ‘Devotion’ tells the inspiring story of naval aviator Jesse Brown and his wingman, Tom Hudner.

Zac Efron

Zac Efron has taken on several serious roles recently. In ‘The Iron Claw,’ directed by Sean Durkin, he plays Kevin Von Erich in a film telling the story of the famous Von Erich wrestling family, alongside Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Lily James. He also starred in ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,’ directed by Joe Berlinger, a movie about Ted Bundy told from the perspective of his girlfriend, Liz Kendall, played by Lily Collins.

Jeremy Efron is known for his work in popular projects like ‘The Greatest Showman’ – a musical directed by Michael Gracey and featuring songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, starring Hugh Jackman and Zendaya – and the action-comedy ‘Baywatch’ directed by Seth Gordon and featuring Dwayne Johnson and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Throughout his career, he’s successfully balanced comedic and dramatic roles in both large studio films and independent productions, working with directors skilled in various genres like musicals, thrillers, and action.

John Cena

John Cena plays the lead role in ‘Peacemaker,’ a series created by James Gunn that centers on a secret government task force and a flawed superhero sent on dangerous missions. The show also stars Danielle Brooks, Freddie Stroma, and Jennifer Holland. Cena also appeared in James Gunn’s film ‘The Suicide Squad,’ where he joined a team of imprisoned supervillains completing risky missions under the command of Amanda Waller, alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, and Viola Davis.

John Cena has appeared in films like ‘Bumblebee,’ directed by Travis Knight, which tells the story of a girl who finds a robot in a junkyard, and several movies in the ‘Fast & Furious’ series, helmed by directors Justin Lin and Louis Leterrier. Beyond action films, he’s also hosted and been a part of many unscripted and family-friendly projects, continuing to work on big-budget action movies.

Taron Egerton

Taron Egerton is known for his roles in the ‘Kingsman’ films, directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, where he plays a young man trained as a secret agent alongside Colin Firth and Sophie Cookson. He also powerfully portrays Elton John in ‘Rocketman,’ a musical biopic directed by Dexter Fletcher that follows the singer’s rise to fame, and features Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Taron Egerton recently starred in two notable projects. In the TV series ‘Black Bird,’ created by Dennis Lehane and based on a true story, he plays a prisoner who’s offered a deal: get a confession from a suspected serial killer, played by Paul Walter Hauser. He also appeared in ‘Tetris,’ a film directed by Jon S. Baird, which tells the story of the legal and business struggles surrounding the creation of the iconic video game, alongside Nikita Efremov and Toby Jones.

Dacre Montgomery

Dacre Montgomery is known for his roles in popular shows and movies. He plays Billy Hargrove in ‘Stranger Things,’ a series created by the Duffer Brothers that centers on the people of Hawkins, Indiana, as they battle monsters from another dimension called the Upside Down. The show also stars Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, and Winona Ryder. Montgomery also starred as Jason Scott in ‘Power Rangers,’ directed by Dean Israelite, a film about teenagers who receive alien powers and use giant robots called Zords to protect the Earth.

Actor Montgomery stars in the romantic comedy ‘The Broken Hearts Gallery,’ which Selena Gomez helped produce and Natalie Krinsky directed. The film centers around a unique gallery showcasing mementos from old relationships, and also features Geraldine Viswanathan and Utkarsh Ambudkar. Montgomery’s work includes a variety of projects, from sci-fi to stories about relationships, often created by filmmakers known for appealing to young audiences and featuring strong ensemble casts.

Liam Hemsworth

I’m a big fan of Liam Hemsworth, and I especially loved him as Gale Hawthorne in ‘The Hunger Games’ movies! Those films, based on Suzanne Collins’ books, started with Gary Ross directing and then Francis Lawrence took over. It’s a really intense story about a future world where teenagers are forced to fight each other on TV. He’s also fantastic in ‘Independence Day: Resurgence,’ directed by Roland Emmerich – it’s a thrilling sequel where the world faces another alien attack, and all the countries have to work together to fight back.

Chris Hemsworth stars in the romantic comedy ‘Isn’t It Romantic’, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, which playfully uses familiar tropes of the genre. He’s also joined the cast of ‘The Witcher’, a fantasy series based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s books and developed by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich. The show follows a monster hunter navigating a world of magic and political conflict.

Sam Heughan

As a huge fan of compelling stories, I’ve been following Sam Heughan’s career for a while now. He’s absolutely fantastic as Jamie Fraser in ‘Outlander’, a show based on Diana Gabaldon’s books and brilliantly developed by Ronald D. Moore. It’s a really unique blend of historical drama, romance, and time travel, jumping between 18th-century Scotland and the modern day, and Caitríona Balfe is incredible alongside him. Beyond that, I was surprised to see him pop up in the action flick ‘Bloodshot’, directed by David S. F. Wilson and based on the Valiant Comics series – Vin Diesel stars as this super-soldier brought back to life with some seriously cool nanotechnology.

I’m really excited about Sam Heughan’s new movie, ‘SAS: Red Notice’! It’s a thriller based on Andy McNab’s book, all about a train hijacking and the special forces team sent to handle it – Ruby Rose and Andy Serkis are in it too. I also enjoyed his earlier work like ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’, a fun action-comedy with Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. He’s proving to be a great action star!

Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård is known for his role as Eric Northman in the HBO series ‘True Blood’, which is based on the novels by Charlaine Harris and explores a town in Louisiana where vampires and other supernatural creatures have come out into the open. The show also stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. He also appears in ‘The Northman’, a historical epic directed by Robert Eggers, where he plays a Viking prince seeking revenge, alongside Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe.

Alexander Skarsgård appears in ‘Succession,’ a series created by Jesse Armstrong, playing the role of tech executive Lukas Matsson. The show centers on the intense power dynamics within a powerful media family, led by Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong. He also stars in Adam Wingard’s ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ part of the MonsterVerse franchise, which pits famous monsters against each other in epic, interconnected battles.

Matt Bomer

I’m a huge fan of Matt Bomer, and I’ve loved watching his work in so many different roles! He was fantastic as Neal Caffrey in ‘White Collar,’ a show created by Jeff Eastin where he played a charming con artist who helped the FBI solve complex forgery and fraud cases alongside Tim DeKay and Tiffani Thiessen. Then, he completely surprised me with his portrayal of Larry Trainor in ‘Doom Patrol,’ a really unique series developed by Jeremy Carver based on the DC Comics. It’s about a group of wonderfully strange heroes dealing with their pasts and battling some truly bizarre villains, and he shares the screen with a great cast including Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, and even Brendan Fraser!

Matt Bomer has appeared in powerful projects addressing LGBTQ+ history and struggles. He starred in ‘The Normal Heart,’ a drama about the beginning of the AIDS crisis in New York City, alongside Mark Ruffalo and Julia Roberts. More recently, he’s been in ‘Fellow Travelers,’ a historical romance and political thriller-based on a novel-that explores the persecution of LGBTQ+ people by the government, and features Jonathan Bailey.

David Harbour

As a huge movie and TV fan, I’m always excited to see what David Harbour does. Most people know him as Jim Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’ – that show created by the Duffer Brothers is just brilliant, mixing sci-fi, horror, and those really relatable stories about kids growing up and families dealing with crazy stuff from another world. But he’s also fantastic in ‘Black Widow’, directed by Cate Shortland. It’s a Marvel movie, of course, and it really digs into Natasha Romanoff’s backstory, and Harbour plays Alexei Shostakov, or Red Guardian, alongside some amazing actors like Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz.

David Harbour stars in both ‘Hellboy’, a film directed by Neil Marshall and inspired by Mike Mignola’s comic series about a demon raised as a human who fights the supernatural, and ‘Violent Night’, an action movie directed by Tommy Wirkola where Santa Claus unexpectedly stops a home robbery. The ‘Violent Night’ cast also features John Leguizamo and Beverly D’Angelo.

Jensen Ackles

Jensen Ackles is famous for his role as Dean Winchester in ‘Supernatural’, a show created by Eric Kripke. The series follows Dean and his brother Sam (played by Jared Padalecki) as they hunt ghosts, demons, and monsters while traveling the country and unraveling mysteries rooted in folklore and larger, ongoing storylines. Now, Ackles is joining ‘The Boys’, also developed by Eric Kripke (based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson), playing Soldier Boy. His character is part of a darkly humorous take on the superhero world, exploring themes of corporate control and media influence.

Jared Padalecki isn’t the only ‘Supernatural’ star with a diverse resume! Jensen Ackles voiced Batman in the animated movie ‘Batman: The Long Halloween’, which is based on the popular graphic novel. He also appeared in ‘Smallville’ as Jason Teague, a character from Clark Kent’s high school days, and starred in the horror remake ‘My Bloody Valentine 3D’, directed by Patrick Lussier.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum is known for his roles in the comedy films ’21 Jump Street’ and its sequel, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and based on the original TV show by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell. He also stars alongside Jonah Hill as undercover investigators in those films. Tatum gained recognition for the drama ‘Magic Mike,’ directed by Steven Soderbergh, which explores the lives of male performers and their relationships, featuring a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello.

Channing Tatum starred in the action movie ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’, directed by Stephen Sommers, where a special forces team battles the dangerous Cobra organization. He’s also known for his dramatic roles in ‘Foxcatcher’, directed by Bennett Miller – a film based on the true story of John du Pont and Olympic wrestlers – and the comedic period piece ‘Hail, Caesar!’ directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, featuring a large cast of well-known actors.

Richard Madden

Richard Madden is known for his roles in two popular TV series. He played Police Sergeant David Budd in ‘Bodyguard,’ a thrilling show created by Jed Mercurio, where he was tasked with protecting a high-profile politician during a time of political intrigue and security threats. He also starred as Robb Stark in ‘Game of Thrones,’ created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and based on the novels by George R. R. Martin – a fantasy epic filled with power struggles, magic, and massive battles.

Richard Madden plays Ikaris in Chloé Zhao’s ‘Eternals’, a film about immortal beings who secretly helped humanity while battling dangerous creatures called Deviants. The film also stars Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, and Angelina Jolie. He also co-stars with Priyanka Chopra Jonas in ‘Citadel’, a spy series created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil, where he plays an agent who’s lost his memory and is pulled back into the world of international espionage. Additionally, Madden appeared as John Reid, a music manager, in the film ‘Rocketman’.

Zachary Levi

Zachary Levi plays the superhero Shazam in the movies ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods,’ which were directed by David F. Sandberg and co-written by Henry Gayden. The films follow Billy Batson as he navigates life with his foster family and battles enemies with ties to ancient gods and myths. Levi is also known for his role in the TV show ‘Chuck,’ created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, where he plays a regular guy who unexpectedly gains top-secret knowledge and is recruited as a secret agent by the CIA and NSA.

Levi is known for his voice acting, including the role of Flynn Rider in Disney’s animated movie ‘Tangled’, directed by Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, which is a musical take on the classic Rapunzel story and also stars Mandy Moore and Donna Murphy. He also played Fandral in two Marvel superhero films, ‘Thor: The Dark World’ and ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, directed by Alan Taylor and Taika Waititi, which blend stories from the world of Asgard with larger superhero adventures.

Share your own picks for who should harness the wizard’s lightning in the DCU in the comments!

2025-09-15 19:18