Shazam! Fury of the Gods' new release date pits the upcoming DC Extended Universe sequel against James Cameron's Avatar 2 -- and director David F. Sandberg doesn't seem phased at all.

Responding to the news that the Shazam! sequel will arrive six months earlier than previously announced, and on the same day as the long-awaited sci-fi sequel, Sandberg tweeted: "Going up against Avatar 2. Poor James Cameron must be shaking in his boots right now....." Sandberg's remarks are no doubt meant as a bit of lighthearted fun, especially since Avatar 2 is the sequel to one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Related: Shazam! 2 Director Comments on SnyderVerse Erasure Rumors

Sandberg went on to note that Shazam! Fury of the Gods' December premiere brings with it a certain irony, given when the first Shazam movie was released back in 2019. "It's funny how Shazam 1 was a Christmas movie released in April and Shazam 2 is a summer movie getting released at Christmas," said the director. "It's the Shazam way."

Warner Bros. bumped up the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods after pushing two other DCEU movies -- The Flash and Aquaman 2 -- back to 2023, meaning Shazam 2 and Avatar 2 will both premiere in theaters on Dec. 16. The distributor subsequently announced a series of release date reshuffles to plug the gaps in its 2022 line-up, with the premieres of Shazam spinoff Black Adam and animated comedy DC League of Super-Pets also affected.

Related: 20th Century Boss Promises Avatar 2 Will 'Blow People Away'

This isn't the first time the release date for Shazam! Fury of the Gods has changed, either. The production was hit by several coronavirus (COVID-19) related delays which saw its original April 1, 2022 premiere moved to Nov. 4. Further delays saw the April 2022 release date revised to June 2, 2023, before shifting once more to the most recent date, Dec. 16, 2022. Sandberg has also faced calls to release Shazam! Fury of the Gods on the HBO Max streaming platform instead of in cinemas, a suggestion the director has flatly rejected.

Sandberg has since revealed that he isn't even sure when Shazam! Fury of the Gods' first full-length trailer will drop, although he theorized that the trailer could air during the next DC FanDome virtual event. That said, the date for this year's FanDome still hasn't been announced and Sandberg made these remarks prior to Shazam 2's adjusted release date. As such, Warner Bros.'s plans for the Shazam sequel's trailer may have changed to better accommodate the movie's accelerated release schedule.

Both Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Avatar 2 arrive in theaters on Dec. 16, 2022.

Keep reading: Shazam's Zachary Levi Says Fury of the Gods Is Better Than the First Film

Source: Twitter