John Davey, a talented actor, is now being remembered as one of television's early superheroes, Captain Marvel, thanks to the recent release of the mid-1970s Shazam! series on DVD.
In a total of thirteen TV episodes, Davey took on the role of Captain Marvel, performing it eleven times in Shazam! and three times in the spin-off series, The Secrets of Isis, in 1975.
Prior to John Davey, Jackson Bostwick played Captain Marvel in the first seventeen episodes of Shazam!, but was suddenly replaced by Davey mid-series, leaving many fans confused about the change.
Davey's portrayal of Marvel required him to perform some intense action scenes, which he executed with ease. Towards the end of the series, in an episode titled Out of Focus, Marvel revealed powers that had never been seen before in the series.
In another episode, "Double Trouble", Marvel had to deal with an evil double of himself, making trouble and causing chaos.
If Shazam! were made today, it is likely that a romantic interest would have been introduced between Marvel and Isis, but unfortunately, this was not the case. Instead, Marvel was too busy saving children from falling off cliffs or driving in dangerous ways to explore romantic possibilities.
John Davey's portrayal of Marvel may seem too clean-cut and simple-minded to today's youth, but to children of the 1970s, he played a positive role model in a series that will never be forgotten, Shazam!
