For a while there, it looked like SHAZAM! was going to be the odd movie out for the DC Cinematic Universe. Back in September, it was revealed by New Line president Toby Emmerich that SHAZAM! would have a distinct tone from the main Warner Bros films and that the characters of Shazam and Black Adam were not a part of the Justice League. Many assumed that to mean the film would not exist in the same shared universe as the other movies.
A recent blog posting by DC Comics that looks back at 2014 and ahead to 2015 may have clarified that statement a bit.
For fans who were hoping to see a DC Cinematic Universe similar to what they’ve seen from other publishers, one that included super heroes other than Superman or Batman, there didn’t seem to be a lot to talk about. That changed on October 15, 2014, when Warner Bros. revealed a full slate of ten DC Entertainment feature films all set within the same universe.
That ten film slate included every film from 2016 through 2020. SHAZAM! falls right in the middle. While this blog cannot be considered a formal statement by Warner Bros or DC, it seems pretty clear that they are indicating WB is not planning to exclude any character from potential future crossovers.
SHAZAM! may have a different tone and style from the darker Batman, Superman, and Justice League films, but that doesn’t mean they don’t coexist. Take, for example, the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY comments made by James Gunn. GUARDIANS has a distinct tone from the other Marvel movies and a crossover does not appear imminent, but they also have that option should they ever want to explore it. I am glad WB is at least trying different things while keeping the door open for the prospect of seeing Dwayne Johnson go toe to toe with some of DC’s elite.
SHAZAM! opens on April 5, 2019.