As the new DC Universe begins to take shape, it’s unclear which elements of the existing franchise will survive. The next DC film to hit theaters will be Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and director David F. Sandberg said that Shazam could have a future in the new DC Universe… but it all depends on how the sequel performs at the box office.
“Hey David, I don’t feel like watching the movie because of the drama happening around DC studios,” a Twitter user wrote. “It is just killing the vibe of the film. There is a lot of uncertainty about DC’s Future. Just give us an answer, whether Shazam will have a role in future DCU.” In response, David F. Sandberg said, “He definitely won’t if people don’t go see the movie. What I’ve been told is that there’s nothing in the Shazam films that contradict the future plans for DC. So the possibility for more Shazam is there and if that’s what you want your best bet is to go see the film.“
So, if Zachary Levi’s Shazam has any chance of a future, Fury of the Gods is going to need quite a few butts in the seats. At the moment, the sequel isn’t tracking particularly well on the box office front, with the current projections giving the film a domestic debut of $35 million to $40 million. The first film debuted with $53.5 million.
“Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos,” reads the official synopsis. “But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.“
Zachary Levi has previously said that he’s not being recast. Levi also came to the defence of DC Studios’ James Gunn when fans began criticizing him for his choices about the franchise. “You have no idea the reasonings behind any of the decisions that are going on,” Levi said. “The amount of conjecture and rumor mill and drama and nonsense that keeps getting spun around out there on Instagram and Twitter is laughable. It is unbelievably laughable. So I would just say be patient and give them some space and some time to try and really make something special. And I think something that DC deserves to have and something that [Zack] Snyder tried to do, and it just didn’t ultimately materialize, guys.“
Shazam: Fury of the Gods will hit theaters on March 17th.