Geoff Johns Says SHAZAM! As Co-Writer of Movie

Preview: Billy Batson #2 CREDIT: View full size image

So you've heard of this Geoff Johns guy, right? He's a premier comic book writer at DC Comics, and in the past several years has been part of revamping and revitalizing the Flash, Superman, Green Lantern, and Justice Society of America (JSA) franchises among others for the publisher.

Last year, he wrote an episode of featuring the Legion of Superheroes, another group of characters he's helped bring back to prominence in comics. This summer, he was announced as writing another episode of the "young Superman" show, this time featuring the JSA. He was also announced as Producing and Co-Writing a live-action movie for The Flash.

Now Johns' pen will strike a different kind of lightning as the co-writer for a live action "Shazam!" movie, THR reports. The movie has had several false starts since being brought to the forefront, with seven writers so far. Johns and his co-writer Billy Birch are starting fresh with the superhero known as Captain Marvel.

Birch started his Hollywood career as an actor, only recently turning to writing.

The character of Captain Marvel (who shouts "Shazam!" to transform from young boy Billy Batson into the hero) has a storied history of his own. Starting as a Superman analogue at a rival company, he eventually fell into DC's possesion, and even spawned analogues of his own.

No target release date was included in the announcement, so it is unknown whether the 2011 target is still valid.