Director David F. Sandberg has played up the lighthearted tone of the upcoming Shazam! film, but now he's clarified that the film's comedy won't come from one-liners.

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"I think it's very funny," Sandberg said in reply to a fan post on Reddit, "but the humor comes more from the situations rather than quippy one-liners (for people who read too much into things, that's not intended as a dig at Marvel or anyone in particular. Quippy one-liners can be great)."

"The important thing for me is to mix the funny with a threat that's serious and to also have dramatic moments," he continued. "All funny all the time takes the weight out of it."

The film's star Zachary Levi previously compared Shazam! to the 1988 movie Big, saying that Shazam! is like Big but with superpowers.

Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, Shazam (also known as Captain Marvel) is the alter-ego of a boy named Billy Batson. Batson has the power to simply say the word "shazam" aloud and be transformed into a powerful superhero. The character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 in 1940. Warner Bros. will break the series into two films, one of which will focus on the hero's mortal enemy, Black Adam, who is slated to be portrayed by Dwayne Johnson.

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Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemk, Shazam! stars Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as Billy Batson and Mark Strong as the villain Doctor Sivana. Grace Fulton has also been cast in an unknown role. The movie is scheduled to begin filming in February ahead of an April 5, 2019 release date.