The Potter kids started out about 7 or 8 years younger than these guys, didn't they? Not that it still can't be done, but there's only so long you can pretend an actor is still a teenager. Karate Kid was probably the worst offender at this. By the time the third movie came out he was like what, 27?
They also filmed new Harry Potter movies basically every year and more importantly, their aging is a part of the story. Shazam is different, because in the source stories, Billy never ages. It will definitely change the feeling of things if Billy is 17 or 18 then he's in his 20's. He'll be changing from a man into a different man.
Not that I say they should do this in a future movie, but all this talk about their ages reminds me of one of my favorite twists in Kingdom Come -- Luthor paraded around Captain Marvel as his big ace in the hole and deterrent, but then Bruce deduced that it wasn't Captain Marvel after all, it was the adult Billy Batson, and thus powerless. The only way to keep him controlled was to brainwash him into maintaining his human form.
Of course, then he said the magic word...
Just saw the movie yesterday. It was great! I especially loved the positive depiction of a Fost-Adopt family - usually media likes to joke about or bash adopted or foster kids. The movie had a ton of heart to it and had some really genuine laughs, plus captured the character and his kind of hokey world very well.
Every day is a gift, not a given right.
I thought about the age problem for any sequels back when this movie was in production. I imagine the same thing must have occurred to the producers of the movie. Maybe they decided that they'd cross that bridge if they ever came to it, but for the present movie they just wanted actors old enough to carry the burden of the work. Still, they would have had a lot of time to think about what they would do if they ever got the chance to do a sequel (also the Black Adam movie has been in the hopper for a few years).
The kids all gaining the powers of Shazam pretty much sealed the deal for me. To paraphrase Freddy, they're a bunch of foster kids and they have nothing going for them -- then when they realize what needs to be done, their faces light up, which made the "Billy!" joke and their adult forms checking their new selves out all the better.
I admit, I teared up a little out of pure happiness for those kids. They deserve the world and they got it.
I finally caught Shazam, surprisingly good.
It makes me long for more magic focused story lines.
Come on guys, who is in for a homo magi tv series !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(hear crickets before the post is made)
/Screw you all for not sharing my unpopular tastes !!!!!!!!!