Just a couple of days ago, it was reported that John Cena was one of the frontrunners (along with Joshua Sasse) to play Shazam in the upcoming DC Comics film.
Per the recent report:
According to our sources, actor Joshua Sasse (Galavant) and wrestling superstar John Cena (Bumblebee spin-off film) are tentatively the front runners for the role of Shazam. While there apparently was a third dark horse contender that has seemingly fallen out of favor, however that name couldn’t be confirmed. Sasse is undoubtedly the lesser known of the two named actors, however that could work in the studio’s benefit as he could become the face of the hero, without being weighed down by previous cinematic baggage.
Well, Umberto Gonzalez has said that the story is not true:
.@ThatHashtagShow SHAZAM story is not true. There are no frontrunners. Joshua Sasse can’t be a frontrunner bc HE HASN’T EVEN BEEN SEEN YET!
— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) September 5, 2017
A synopsis for the film reads as follows:
Based on the DC Comics character “Shazam!” Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, the world’s mightiest mortal, when he says the magic word “Shazam! The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes. The wisdom of Solomon, strength of Hercules, stamina of Atlas, power of Zeus, courage of Achilles and speed of Mercury.
Those hoping to see Cena as the character will undoubtedly be disappointed, but who’s to say it can’t happen in the future? The WWE Superstar is taking on more Hollywood roles and would honestly be a pretty good fit for the character.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.