Zachary Levi
Actor Zachary Levi attends the Tony Honors Cocktail Party presenting the 2016 Tony Honors Getty

All eyes were on Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson and his much-anticipated villainous role in DC's Shazam! movie. Since the ex-WWE star landed his solo Black Adam flick, however, the buzz seems to have returned to the original project and the latest update is that actor Zachary Levi has been cast in the lead role.

Levi, who has some experience with superhero flicks – having played Fandral of the Warriors Three in Marvel's Thor franchise – will be taking on the titular role in Shazam set for a 2019 release.

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While the news of his casting has indeed taken DC fans by surprise, the actor himself is beyond thrilled to bring the "original" Captain Marvel to life. Soon after the news broke, the 37-year-old actor even took to social media to confirm his upcoming involvement in the DC Extended Universe.

"Honored and greatly humbled to be a part of the #dcuniverse by bringing the original Captain Marvel to life," the former Chuck star shared via an Instagram post.

"I am beside myself with gratitude, not only for this opportunity, but also the incredible outpouring of love and support from so many of you out there in the world. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the gym for the rest of forever," he added.

As for those, who are wondering how the actor will fit into the shoes of Billy Batson's heroic alter ego – Shazam, also controversially referred to as the original Captain Marvel, Levi left some clues.

Sharing what could possibly be the first look of Levi as the red suit-clad Shazam, the American actor shared a fan art created by BossLogic – a go-to artist in the contemporary comic book world – with his fans. Check out Levi in his superhero avatar below.

However, magically transforming from Billy to Captain Marvel won't be an easy task for the Shazam actor, and Levi is leaving no stones unturned. With just 3 months until the shoot in Toronto, the actor is undergoing strenuous training to get into a "killer shape".

Directed by David F. Sandberg, the filming on Shazam continues from next February until May. The DC movie hits theatres in April 2019.