Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Confirms "Shazam" Role

Dwayne Johnson, who teased his long-rumored DC Comics movie role last month with the phrase "Just say the word," has finally confirmed he'll star in "Shazam."

However, the actor told The Associated Press he hasn't decided whether he'll play Shazam or his nemesis Black Adam -- all while admitting his fondness for the supervillain.

Johnson's name has been mentioned in the same breath as "Shazam," frequently by the actor himself, since at least 2007, when Peter Segal ("Get Smart," "50 First Dates") was attached to direct from a script most recently written by John August ("Corpse Bride," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"). But following the failure of "Speed Racer," Warner Bros. decided to move the film closer in tone to "The Dark Knight," and in 2009 brought in Geoff Johns and Billy Birch to pen the screenplay. By 2013, that version too had stalled, with Segal laying the much of the blame on the resurgence of Superman at Warner Bros.

Yet, when the studio casually announced in April that Zack Snyder will helm the similarly long-in-development "Justice League," the newspaper article floated "Shazam" as one of the properties in the pipeline, seemingly confirmed in June by a purported Warner Bros. movie slate leaked online.

Johnson, who at one point was attached to star in a Lobo movie that never made it off the ground, told The AP while in Mexico City promoting "Hercules" that he's determined not to disappoint fans of Shazam. "I am putting my heart and soul and my bones into this role," he said.

It's unknown whether Shazam, or Black Adam, might appear in "Justice League," which has long been viewed as a way to introduce second-tier DC superheroes like The Flash, Green Lantern and Aquaman before they're spun off into solo films. Warner Bros. announced release dates for nine DC movies just two weeks ago, with Dan Fellman, the studio's president of domestic distribution, suggesting the titles should begin to be revealed later this month.