FINAL TRANSFORMATION

Star of ’70s Cult TV Classic Dies at 75

Michael Gray played Billy Batson, the teen who turned into Captain Marvel.

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Michael Gray, who played Billy Batson in the 1970s TV series Shazam!, has died at 75. His reps told People on Thursday that he had died of natural causes. His character in the 1974-1976 live-action series was based on the D.C. Comics character. Batson was a teenager who could turn into the superhero Captain Marvel by shouting the show’s title: Shazam! According to Gray, the role kicked off his career. He played a teen heartthrob who graced many Tiger Beat covers and was also Marcia’s boyfriend in a 1973 episode of The Brady Bunch. Feeling typecast, he eventually left Hollywood. But he still made a cameo in 2023’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods. “Mike was just a loving, sweet guy with a great sense of humor,” his co-star John Davey said in a statement. “I don’t think he ever stopped smiling.” Gray is survived by his wife, Stacy Benon Gray, and his stepchildren.