Jack Dylan Grazer made his big debut this year in the Stephen King adaptation It, where he played Eddie Kaspbrak, one of the kids to battle the demonic clown Pennywise. Now he may get the chance to face off against the supervillains in the DC Extended Universe, as he has been cast in the role of Freddy Freeman in the upcoming Shazam film.
The movie will focus on Billy Batson, a young orphaned teenager who has the power to transform into an adult superhero by saying the magic word “Shazam!” It has already been announced that Asher Angel, perhaps best known for his role in the Disney Channel TV series Andi Mack, will be playing Batson, with his superhero alter ego played by Zachary Levi, famous for his parts in Chuck, Tangled and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor films.
According to the official description, Grazer’s Freddy will be a funny, sarcastic boy whom Angel’s Billy meets in a group foster home. The two will become best friends, with Freddy becoming the only person who knows that Billy is also moonlighting as a superhero.
A few months back, some audition tapes and other materials were leaked online. Though they used fake names for the characters, many fans had already guessed that the role of “Frank” was actually Freddy Freeman, an important character from the comic books.
In the source material, Freddy Freeman is actually Billy Batson’s superhero sidekick, Captain Marvel Jr. Though the details vary by adaptation, the story is usually that Freddy winds up crippled due to a supervillain attack, with Billy transferring some of his magical power to him in order to save his life. The result is that Freddy not only lives, but is able to transform into a superhero like Billy—one who remains the same age, but regains the use of his injured legs.
There is no official word if Freddy will follow that plotline in the upcoming movie, set for release in April of 2019. Also unknown is whether or not the film will include third main member of the Marvel Family, Mary Batson/Bromfield. Billy’s long-lost twin sister, she also becomes a superhero and is often a love interest for Freddy. Some suspect that she will be played by Grace Fulton, who has been cast in an unspecified role in the movie.
