Shazam! Fury of the Gods calls for mild thunderstorms with $3.4M in Thursday preview screenings

New Line’s superhero sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods is experiencing stormy weather at the box office after a mild Thursday debut. The Shazam family reunion got rained out with $3.4M in preview screenings at 3,400 markets. The early total is less than David F. Sandberg’s 2019 original, which brought the lightning with $5.9M in preview screenings. Shazam! earned $53.5M during opening weekend. Thankfully, positive word of mouth boosted the film to $366M worldwide.

Sandberg’s sequel will likely finish behind the original, with analysts saying it will be lucky to make $40M domestically. With expectations hovering around $35M domestically, Shazam! Fury of the Gods could strike $85M worldwide by the end of its theatrical run.

After being affected by the pandemic and getting delayed so it wouldn’t clash with James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is bumping against John Wick: Chapter 4, which opens in theaters next week. While fan reactions to 2019’s Shazam! were highly positive (90% certified fresh with an 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), the character failed to remain in the public consciousness as DC struggled to support its cinematic universe under weary leadership.

New DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran didn’t do Shazam! Fury of the Gods any favors after fan demand saw the duo announcing their plans for a rebooted DCU. By exposing the brave and bold future of DC Studios, they have kneecapped the momentum of any projects before the relaunch, including Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

The title that stands the best chance at being a blockbuster at the box office is The Flash, starring the problematic Ezra Miller as the Scarlet Speedster. While Miller’s ongoing issues loom over the release of The Flash, the film also stars Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The marketing for The Flash is leaning heavily on Keaton’s return after Miller’s antics were splashed across news outlets and grocery store rags.

The sad part is I’m hearing Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a good time. Shazam! Fury of the Gods could be the last time we see these characters on the big screen, so be sure to go to your local cinema if you’re a fan of DC’s boy-turned-adult superhero.