We have been hearing about a Captain Marvel movie, called "Shazam!," for a while that had both John August writing the script and Peter Segal (Get Smart) set to direct. Even Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) was all set to come on as Black Adam, a decision that he left up to the fans.
Now, August is saying that the project is dead. "By 'dead,' I mean that it won't be happening," he said on his blog. "I don't think it's on the studio's radar at all. It may come back in another incarnation, with another writer, but I can say with considerable certainty that it won't be the version I developed."
August goes on to explain that his script was comedic and was more like "Big" with superpowers. But by the time Warner Bros took over New Line and acquired the project, it became a dark story of Captain Marvel vs Black Adam. Then the studio gave up on it altogether.
Here is how August described his original script: "Captain Marvel is a superhero roughly as powerful as Superman, minus the heat-vision and cold breath. What's unique about the character is that in ordinary life, he's teenager Billy Batson. Speaking the name of the wizard who gave him his powers (Shazam) calls down a magic thunderbolt, transforming him into the studly superhero. But he's still a teenager in there."
