Mark Strong: 'I'm playing the villain in Shazam!'

British actor Mark Strong has confirmed reports he is set to play the villain in the forthcoming Shazam! blockbuster.

In November (17), it was reported The Kingsman: The Secret Service star was being lined up to play Doctor Sivana, a desperate scientist who turns to magic in a bid to save his family in the film, and on Sunday (14Jan18), he told Contactmusic.com he has signed on to play the "evil bastard"

The role isn't Strong's first foray into the world of DC Comics - the 54-year-old previously went bad to play Sinestro in 2011's Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds.

'I was Sinestro in Green Lantern which I thought was a rather good film, but it didn't do what they wanted, so I feel like I've got unfinished business in the DC world," he says. "I played a pretty evil character in that and he was meant to get even worse in the second one but that never happened, but I think I'm going to get the chance to do that in Shazam! I hope so."

Last year (17), Zachary Levi signed on to take on title role in Shazam!, about a boy named Billy Batson who is able to transform into an adult superhero. Asher Angel will also appear as a young Batson.

"It's a funny film, it's about a young boy who can become a superhero but still remains a young boy so there's elements of (Tom Hanks movie) Big, there's elements of (TV show) Stranger Things," he added. "I think originally the comic outsold Superman in the 1940s.'

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson will also feature as another villain, Black Adam. The wrestler-turned-actor was the first big name attached to the project, which he has been developing for a few years.

Annabelle: Creation filmmaker David F. Sandberg is directing Shazam!, which is due to begin production in Toronto, Canada in February (18) ahead of a possible 2019 release.