The Evolution of Captain Marvel's Name Change

DC's Captain Marvel made his debut years before Marvel's character, so why did DC ultimately change the character's name? It's difficult to believe, but the DC Captain Marvel, originally published by Fawcett Comics, came onto the scene decades before Marvel's iteration. Billy Batson, a young boy who gains the power of ancient gods by saying the magic word "Shazam!" is the original Captain Marvel.

Fast forward to 2023, and Captain Marvel has essentially abandoned the name, while numerous heroes at Marvel have taken on the identity. The DC version of Captain Marvel has been widely beloved, but due to legal complications and copyright problems, the character has had to be known as Shazam since the 2011 New 52 reboot. How did Captain Marvel end up losing his name?

Why Fawcett Comics stopped publishing Captain Marvel comics

Fawcett Publications, a smaller press publisher, was founded in the aftermath of the success of Batman and Superman. In 1940, they introduced their own superhero, Captain Marvel, in Whiz Comics #2.

Captain Marvel took direct inspiration from Superman. Although he possessed similar powers, his abilities were derived from gods rather than being an alien. In contrast to a journalist, he was employed by a radio station. Most notably, Captain Marvel was not a grown man, but rather Billy Batson, a young boy who could transform into an adult by uttering the magic word Shazam.

DC ComicsWith a magic word, Billy Batson becomes Captain Marvel, Earth’s mightiest mortal

The stories had been a hit, but that only drew the attention of DC Comics. DC ultimately sued Fawcett, claiming that Captain Marvel had violated its Superman copyright. The legal battle was prolonged and involved numerous trials and retrials.

Ultimately, it was determined that Captain Marvel himself was not guilty of copyright infringement, but many of his stories bore too close a resemblance to early Superman tales. In 1953, Fawcett settled the case by paying $400,000 and agreeing to cease publication of Captain Marvel comics.

Why DC’s Shazam is no longer called Captain Marvel

After the decline of superheroes following World War II, Fawcett, along with other publishers, tried to break into the horror comics genre, but saw only moderate achievement. Unfortunately, Fawcett Comics ceased operations in 1953. It wasn't until the 1970s that Captain Marvel would have another opportunity in the world of comics.

Superhero comics made a comeback as the generation that grew up reading them during the war entered adulthood. The artist, Carmine Infantino, known for creating popular DC hits like The Flash and Batgirl, was now the publisher for DC. He decided to revive Captain Marvel by licensing the characters from Charlton to publish under DC Comics.

However, it wasn't a simple process. Marvel Comics had already taken advantage of the lapsed licensing rights and published their own Captain Marvel. As a result, Captain Marvel’s new adventures had to be published under the title Shazam! instead.

The presence of Captain Marvel in books such as Kingdom Come not only elevated his popularity but also emphasized his significance as a character. For years, Captain Marvel played a supporting role in more widely read titles and headlined his own series, such as The Power of Shazam. His impactful cameo in Kingdom Come served as a powerful reminder of his enduring appeal. However, with the New 52 reboot, DC Comics decided to rebrand the character, completely discarding the Captain Marvel name.

At one point, he adopted the name Shazam, creating a problem within his universe as he couldn't say his own name without transforming. In more recent developments, Billy has been trying out different code names and seems to have chosen The Captain. For further details on Billy Batson's search for the ideal codename, you can find Shazam in DC Comics on a monthly basis. And for more updates on Shazam and DC Comics, make sure to follow Dexerto for coverage.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I grew up reading comic books and watching superhero movies. I was always a big fan of Captain Marvel, and I was excited to see him make his debut in the DC Extended Universe. However, I was disappointed when I learned that he would be known as Shazam instead of Captain Marvel.

I understand the legal reasons why DC had to change the character's name, but I still think it's a shame. Captain Marvel is a classic superhero, and I think it's a shame that he's no longer being called by his original name. I hope that one day, DC will be able to get the rights to the name Captain Marvel back, and that the character will be able to be called by his true name once again.