Warner Bros. has had a rough go at it with the DC Extended Universe. After seeing Disney and Marvel Studios flourish with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's easy to think that Warner Bros. would have been able to simply replicate what seems to be a winning formula
That... did not happen. Instead, the studio opted to take a darker, grittier route, and it's suffered for it. Now notorious for taking its iconic characters in bleak, distressing directions, Warner Bros. is in the early stages of attempting to brighten its universe, and thus its chances for future success.
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Following a fairly unsuccessful attempt to lighten the tone of Justice League, the DCEU's new direction has been teased in the synopsis for Shazam!. If done correctly, the film shouldn't feel like anything that has come before it; it should be superheroic in nature, of course, but that doesn't mean it has to be "realistic." In fact, it should lean towards being more unrealistic, to really emphasize the experiences young Billy Batson is about to go through.
Empty Promises
Fans have already been promised a more fun, lighter take on the live-action versions of DC Comics' most popular characters, but the reality has been less than successful. Ahead of the film's release, Ben Affleck went on record to say Justice League had a "very different from the tenor of the last movie and there’s also more room for humor.” Sure, there were more comical moments in the movie than its predecessors, but a lot of the humor either didn't land well or cheapened the moment at hand.
Worse, while The Flash was the comedy relief in JL, Ezra Miller's solo outing now appears to be an ensemble piece based on the bleak, alternate-timeline storyline of DC Comics' Flashpoint event. In the comics version, Bruce Wayne is dead, Superman is being held by the government, and the world is being destroyed via a war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman and their home nations. Basically, the storyline can't be too fun since it needs to be taken seriously, and despite numerous development issues, Warner Bros. is rumored to be intent on bringing it to life.
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Wonder Woman had some fun moments, sure, but it was a serious movie at its heart, and its safe to assume the sequel will follow suit. The Suicide Squad sequel is almost in the same boat, it had some fun moments but it was still quite moody and dark. Aquaman, despite having a charming, dude-ish lead in Jason Momoa, is being directed by famed horror director James Wan, so it's unlikely that it'll be an joke-filled laugh fest. It all comes down to Shazam! to inject some much-needed enjoyment into the DC Extended Universe.
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Shazam! needs to be an enjoyable experience - the character demands it. The basic story behind the superhero, who's also known as Captain Marvel, is simple wish-fulfillment. Imagine being 14 years old when an wizard grants you the ability to transform into an all-powerful being who can fly, is super strong, can cast lightning, and has other fantastical powers. You'd simply have fun with it. At the end of the day, Shazam! should allow fans to see iconic DC characters through the eyes of a child.
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Shazam is at his best when he's taking things in his stride, enjoying himself, and allowing fans to experience being a superhero through him. His origin story is, to be honest, very silly, so taking it seriously doesn't make any sense at all. Fortunately, the first official synopsis for the 2019 movie is very promising on this front.
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson’s (Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he’ll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).
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Even the tone of the synopsis is a little playful! It's difficult, then, to imagine Warner Bros. stripping the character of his most appealing characteristics and features: heart and humor. Shazam has been described as "firmly set in the DC universe, but with his own distinctly fun, family-centric tone" by the studio, which is just further affirmation that the DCEU is finally about to become genuinely fun.
Opening April 5, 2019, director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! stars Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as Billy Batson and Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Silvana. They’re joined by Jack Dylan Grazer as Billy’s best friend and ultimate superhero enthusiast, Freddy, part of the foster family that includes Mary, played by Grace Fulton; Darla, played by Faithe Herman; Eugene, played by Ian Chen; and Pedro, played by Jovan Armand. Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans play foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez, with Ron Cephas Jones as the Wizard.