Following early screenings, the first reactions to Shazam! are starting to roll in across social media. According to initial impressions from critics on social media, the movie is a winning, family-friendly entry in the DC Extended Universe that doesn't shy away from the weirder aspects of Shazam or his world.Several critics positively compared the film to fun family favorites like Big or Home Alone. In sharp contrast to the DCEU's dead serious early entries, several critics commented on how joyful director David F. Samberg's film seemed and complemented how the film embraced ideas about family with a warm, joyful heart.Zachary Levi's portrayal of the titular DC hero was also highly praised, with a few reviews calling it the role he was born to play. The film's sense of humor was also praised for its knowing pop cultural references and deep DC Universe references that should please longtime fans of the character.RELATED: Shazam!'s Long-Awaited Second Trailer Wants You to Remember the Name

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Arriving April 5, director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Djimon Hounsou as the ancient wizard Shazam, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vásquez and Marta Milans as Rosa Vásquez.