Marta Milans has been cast as Rosa Vasquez in David F. Sandberg‘s DC Comics movie ‘Shazam!’ Rosa is the wife of Victor Vasquez, both of whom were orphans, leading them to taking in many foster children, including the film’s main character Billy Batson, who gains the magical gift to turn into a powerful adult superhero, called Shazam. Asher Angel plays the youthful Billy, while Zachary Levi plays his adult alter ego. ‘The Walking Dead”s Cooper Andrews plays Victor. The other children in their care are Mary Bromfield (Grace Fulton), Eugene Choi (Ian Chen), Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman), Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand). The cast also includes Mark Strong as mad scientist villain Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana and reportedly Ron Cephus Jones as the wizard who grants Billy his powers.
Milans had a recurring role on the short-lived CW sitcom ‘No Tomorrow’ and previously appeared on the ABC series ‘Killer Women’. Most recently, she appeared on the telenovela ‘Vergüenza’. She has a role in the upcoming indie film ‘Asher’ which also stars Ron Perlman, Famke Janssen, Peter Facinelli, Jacqueline Bisset and Richard Dreyfuss.
In the comics, Freddy and Mary also had classic superhero alter egos themselves. Freddy acted as Captain Marvel Jr., while Mary went by Mary Marvel. But since DC has dropped the use of the name “Marvel,” it’s unclear what their names would be in the new continuity. Also in more recent comics, the other children, Eugene, Darla and Pedro also gain superpowers. The name “Shazam is an acronym for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury, the ancient gods that give Billy and the others their powers.
One of the biggest ‘Shazam!’ villains is Black Adam, a character that Dwayne Johnson has been attached to portray in a movie, but reportedly, he will debut in the sequel to ‘Suicide Squad’ and then his own movie before ever facing off against Levi’s Shazam.
It was recently rumored that Doctor Sivana’s children Beautia and Magnificus would appear in the movie, but Sandberg appears to have debunked that.
‘Shazam!’ will open on April 5, 2019.
Source: Deadline
