The writers of the new Shazam! movie have confirmed something only hinted at in the first film. One of the characters, Pedro Peña, is gay. He’s the guy in green, on the far right above.
If you didn’t see the original 2019 DC Comics movie, it follows the fate of 14-year-old foster kid Billy Batson. He joins five other kids in a foster home.
One day, a wizard bestows special powers upon Billy. The youngster can call upon these powers if he says ‘shazam!’. He’s then transformed into an adult superhero. Saying ‘shazam’ again turns him back into a kid.
DJ Cotrona as Pedro Peña in Shazam! (New Line Cinema)
Later in the movie, he shares his powers with his fellow foster kids and they too can become adult superheroes.
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One of the other foster kids Billy lives with is Pedro. In the movie, Jovan Armand plays the younger version while DJ Cotrona (below) plays the older superhero.
Writers Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan spoke on the Dorkaholics podcast. They talked about diversity and inclusion in the Shazam! World.
Gayden revealed that “the only new addition for this movie is being a lot more forthright about Pedro being gay. And that was hinted at in the first movie very subtly. And I thought it was really important and really, really fought for us including that and bringing that to the fore in this movie.”
In the first movie, the kids find themselves transported into a strip club. On leaving, Pedro says it’s “not my thing.”
The DC comics version of Pedro Peña (DC Comics)
The DC universe’s 2023 release schedule
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods is the first of four DC movies slated for 2023. The other three are The Flash (June 16), Blue Bettle (August 18) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 25).
Shazam will feature Zachary Levi reprising the role of the title hero, with Asher Angel as the younger Billy.
The movie is out March 17. Check out the trailer below.
Lewis Tan is best known for roles in “Iron Fist” and “Into the Badlands.”
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wait so the characters in this movie are in fact 14 year olds? and they get older bodies but still have their 14 yo minds? and with their adult bodies they do adult things? but they are still kids? whose fantasy is this?
It’s more entertaining than previous serials and the Shazam TV show, where Captain Marvel was an adult and Billy Batson a kid. If only they had retained the character’s name rather than ceding it to Marvel for their much more recent creation.
Great, but I’ve usually been disappointed at the gay representation in these big tent-pole movies. It’s always either “subtext” or if you blink you’ll miss it so they can cut it out of the cuts they send to China.
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thebaddestbabby
wait so the characters in this movie are in fact 14 year olds? and they get older bodies but still have their 14 yo minds? and with their adult bodies they do adult things? but they are still kids? whose fantasy is this?
FreddieW
It’s more entertaining than previous serials and the Shazam TV show, where Captain Marvel was an adult and Billy Batson a kid. If only they had retained the character’s name rather than ceding it to Marvel for their much more recent creation.
storm45701
Have you contacted One Million Moms yet? Lordy — this character has been around since the 1940s.
dbmcvey
Have you never read a comic book?
FreddieW
Wonderful. He was my favorite character in the first movie. Mainly for his looks.
dbmcvey
Great, but I’ve usually been disappointed at the gay representation in these big tent-pole movies. It’s always either “subtext” or if you blink you’ll miss it so they can cut it out of the cuts they send to China.