Last week, Alan Ritchson surprised everybody when he said on Twitter that he will portray the superhero SHAZAM opposite Dwayne The Rock Johnson in 2019's movie. The news hasn't been confirmed by anybody just yet (the Rock, we're looking at you), so it may have been just a simple prank. Furthermore, more actors have become interested in this role.
Derek Theler is not one of these actors. And that is because he has been campaigning for this role for quite a while now, with his interest being ignited once again by Alan Ritchson. Thus, the Baby Daddy star said a while ago that his biggest dream was to portray a superhero. Furthermore, he took it to Twitter and posted quite a few fan-made posters and artwork with him featured as SHAZAM.
The actor also posted quite a few pics on Instagram of himself as SHAZAM. You can check them all out here. So what if he isn't a big superstar like the many others from the DCEU? A fresh face could certainly help the movie, especially if the Rock is set to play the main antagonist.
Derek Theler is clearly a comic book fan. And while he first wanted to become Thor, the role of SHAZAM may suit him better. He wouldn't be the first unknown actor to be cast in a major comic book movie either. In the DCEU, Ray Fisher had very few roles in movies before being announced as Cyborg. And, speaking of Thor, Chris Hemsworth was also relatively unknown before joining the MCU roster.
So what do you think? Is Derek Theler suited for the role? He certainly looks the part, and he wouldn't look scrawny (as many other actors would) opposite Dwayne The Rock Johnson. And he’s also the right age, meaning that he could return for many other movies as this same character.
The Rock (Daily Mail)
