With @21xfour’s mock-up providing a convincing look at Alan Ritchson as Shazam, some fans might be wondering if there’s any chance the “Reacher” star could actually make his way into the DC Universe as a new version of the character. Unfortunately, it seems that the odds of it happening are pretty slim for the moment.
Ritchson was indeed once rumored to be replacing Zachary Levi as Shazam after news of James Gunn’s plans to reboot the DC film continuity first began spreading online. However, Gunn himself shot down speculation on this front when he took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared a post explicitly debunking the rumor. Nonetheless, with no concrete projects involving Shazam announced, it remains unclear whether Gunn intends to retain Levi or recast the role in the future.
While the rumors may not be true for now, it seems that Ritchson is at least open to the idea of playing Shazam. The actor has, on occasion, teased the idea of him taking on the role via social media. Before the release of “Shazam!,” he even went as far as to falsely confirm (in a now-deleted tweet preserved by ScreenGeek) that he would be playing the DCEU iteration of the character. He’s no stranger to the DCU either, having portrayed Aquaman on “Smallville” and Hawk on “Titans.”
