This is going to be my most rambling post ever, and I quite certainly don't care. I'm going to look like that pepe silvia meme and I EMBRACE it!
super!Pedro's height and how it may reflect in his personality and his presentation
First off, whatever I am going to say next does not mean I do not like the casting choice of D.J. Cotrona as super!Pedro. He did a great job in both movies and I would not change it for the world. This is just meant as a little character study based on like, two throwaway lines and a smudge of comic lore.
So, we know that the champion form is an amalgamation of how you perceive yourself, the best version of yourself and the people you look up to. This is why Cap is frequently portrayed to look like C.C. Batson (yes, even in New 52/Rebirth). Due to this "rule", we can use the way a champion looks to determine personal traits.
For this Tumblr essay I want to look at Pedro. We know from all kinds of media that Pedro is insecure about himself, mostly the way he looks, but also his failing grades. That, combined with his introverted nature, makes him blend in with the background as he finds it hard to assert himself in a noticeable way.
His champion form in the comics looks like it wants to accomplish the exact opposite. Pedro is the tallest of the Shazamily, looks crazy strong and has a far more noticeable presence. And it makes Pedro a lot more comfortable. He is far more willing to crack a joke or two or show off a bit. It shows that, under the right circumstances, Pedro can be the dependable older brother that he hopes to become one day.
However, when we look at the movie version, the exact opposite is true. Pedro is actually the shortest of the boys. With D.J. Cotrona reportedly being around 176 CM (5' 9"), only being taller then Meagen Good (super!Darla) and Grace Fulton (Mary). His build and the way that he handles himself also makes him seem more compacter, or smaller, then he actually is. Making it so he seems to have a far lesser presence in the Shazamily then comic Pedro.
It is also funny that this "smaller" feeling does not seem to be an exclusively visual thing. Comic Pedro, while still being insecure, is very practical and tries to get things done. Meanwhile Movie Pedro flat out told Billy that he believes that he can not execute the plan during their first actual confrontation with the daughters of Atlas, and the poor kid was proven right (although, it was because of dumb misfortune and Billy's still evolving skills as a planner/leader).
It's honestly so funny to me that such a small (and probably accidental) visual difference between the comic and the adaptation can echo into such a large way of interpreting a character's psyche and personality.
I again have to note that this is NOTHING against D.J. Cotrona. Adam Broody (super!Freddy) isn't much taller and nobody in the production can help it that Ross Butler (super!Eugene) and Zackery Levi are freakishly tall (like seriously are they secretly Dutch or something?). These are just ramblings of a madman. Take them only half seriously
