According to Variety, “Get Smart” director Peter Segal and his production partner Michael Ewing have been booked by Warner Bros to a three-year first-look deal at the studio, and one of the aspects of the deal has been the acquisition of the John August-scripted “Captain Marvel”. Segal will be directing the DC Comics adaptation. He and Ewing began working on the film two years ago, but the property has moved over to Warner Bros. The movie tells the story of teenaged Billy Batson, who transforms into the superhero Captain Marvel when he says the word “Shazam!”

It’s been widely reported that the film will be an origin story for Captain Marvel, who gains the powers of the gods when he says the magic word “Shazam!” and that former WWE wrestler Dwayne Johnson (“The Mummy Returns”, “The Scorpion King”, “Be Cool”) is on board to play Black Adam, the similarly-powered nemesis of Captain Marvel, the time-lost former wielder of the Wizard’s power.

Captain Marvel is a DC Comics character, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later brought to DC. Young Billy Batson discovers the wizard Shazam, who gifts him with the powers of six mythical figures and the form a red and gold-clad adult when he calls out the wizard’s name. Created in 1939 by Bill Parker and CC Beck, he first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 in 1940. Long seen as a comparison character to Superman, there has since his debut, been a “Marvel Family”, who’s Captain Marvel Jr. has recently taken over the mantle of the hero.

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By Costa Koutsoutis, (Source: Variety.com)