With the newest trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, fans are given a glimpse of the movie's somewhat darker and more serious tone compared to its predecessor. Said tone finds protagonist Billy Batson questioning his place in the world as a superhero and among his family. The Shazam Family as a whole is incredibly fractured, and this could say a lot about their future in the DC Universe.
There's a lot going on behind the scenes with DC's films, and the upcoming Superman reboot movie suggests that everything from 2013 to 2023 could be chucked out the window by new studio head James Gunn. That theory is seemingly backed up by the latest look at Shazam 2, which might put a magical cap on the series and end its story. Here's why the end is likely nigh for Zachary Levi's take on the World's Mightiest Mortal.
Shazam 2 May Bring an End to the 'Shazamily'
The conversation throughout the Shazam 2 trailer involves the worthiness of Billy and his friends to harness the magical powers of the gods. Freddy Freeman is seen being depowered in one scene, and many of the other Shazam Family members are mostly shown in their mortal states. Likewise, toward the trailer's end, the general theme it hinges upon is that it has to be Billy who defeats the Daughters of Atlas. This is almost antithetical to the first movie's themes of family and togetherness, though it matches the passage of time.
It's been a few years in real life and the DC Universe since the events of the first Shazam! movie, with Billy even commenting on how he's the only one trying to keep things together as a superhero with a team of others. The others have all gone on with their lives, and it would thus make the most sense that Billy would become the sole bearer of the Wizard's power upon the movie's conclusion. After all, he was the one found worthy, to begin with, and while he may have initially needed to learn what it meant to be part of a family, now's the time for him to act on his own as both a superhero and a young man. Of course, the fact that things are winding down for the DCU, as fans know it, likely hastened this development.
Big Changes to the DCU May Prematurely End the Shazam Franchise
It's no surprise to those following news about the shared universe that the DCU is in more disarray than ever. James Gunn has been brought on to be the movies' creative director, and while this should be a win for Warner Bros. Discovery, it's come with controversy following the recasting of Henry Cavill in favor of another Superman reboot. The prevailing thought among many is that Gunn will reboot the DC Universe wholesale, potentially using the events of the upcoming movie The Flash as a springboard into the new continuity. If that is the case and actors from the DCU's current iteration aren't kept, it makes sense to go ahead and end the story of Shazam and other heroes. Such a fate has been disputed by Zachary Levi and Gunn himself, though things could very well change, especially if the new movie underperforms.
The main issue with the Shazam films was always going to be the young actors, as they could quickly and easily age out of the roles. Rebooting the characters would somewhat stave off this issue by bringing in younger, newer talent, especially since Gunn will be using a younger Superman. Add in the fact that Black Adam was a box office disappointment and won't be followed up in the new DCU, and it's actually the perfect time to close the book on this version of the Shazam mythos. It's unlikely that the characters will be immediately used again anytime soon, and with the DCU as a whole potentially starting over, it's better to have a planned ending than one that leaves too many unanswered questions.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods flies into theaters on March 17.