Dwayne Johnson teases Shazam superhero role

Action man Dwayne Johnson has teased fans by suggesting he is set to bring comic book superhero Shazam to life on the big screen.

The Fast Five actor has been in talks with studio executives at Warner Bros. for several months to find him the perfect role in a new DC Comics adaptation, and now he has dropped the biggest hint yet about the kind of character he is preparing to play.

In an interview with TotalFilm.com, the actor reveals he initially wanted to star as John Stewart, one of the many characters who take on the identity of Green Lantern, but it was too soon after the 2011 film flop that starred Ryan Reynolds as the title character.

Instead, Johnson hints that he will play Billy Batson and his alter ego Shazam, a man with incredible strength and the power of light.

The new Hercules star says, "He has the power of Superman. And it's not the Green Lantern by the way. Believe me - John Stewart - he is a character who I wanted to play, but there was already a version of Green Lantern, and so now we've gone in a slightly different direction. But this character has the power of Superman. He can throw down."

He adds, "Just say the word. That's all I'm going to say."

In the comics, Batson famously just has to utter the name of his alter ego to transform into the red and gold costumed superhero.

Director Peter Segal had previously been linked to a Shazam movie in 2010, but the plans stalled and the proposed project was shelved indefinitely.