Though it was far from a sure hit when released, Marvel Studios struck gold with 2008's Iron Man, the first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director Jon Favreau's comic book movie was a huge hit, earning overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and fans, while also thriving at the box office. Iron Man's success set the tone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it continued to grow - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. No matter how dark a MCU movie's story may get, there was always a focus on sprinkling in plenty of comedy while also trying to appeal to fans of all ages. MCU movies built a massive fanbase over the years and its movies continue to receive mostly positive reactions across the board.

Warner Bros. didn't have the same kind of luck with its cinematic universe, which is often referred to as the DC Extended Universe.

Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which launched WB's DC universe in 2013, received mixed reviews from critics, and fans still have heated debates about its handling of DC's most noble hero. Snyder's follow-up movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, received mostly negative reviews from critics and once again left fans divided, and just like Man of Steel, fans are still debating the film. Some expected David Ayer's Suicide Squad to be the first DCEU movie to receive a positive reaction from critics while also uniting fans, but it was subject to very negative reviews as well, proving to be yet another polarizing movie among fans. These movies generated money at the box office, yes, but they also generated mockery (MoSBvS' tone; Suicide Squad's character designs), and WB couldn't win over the critics.

RELATED:Shazam! Teaser Trailer's Best & Most Important Moments

Even though Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman featured some dark elements (like an entire village being killed by poison gas), the movie also included lots of comedy, and was the first DCEU movie to be praised by critics and fans. Finally, a DCEU movie received mostly positive reactions - and, many fans pointed out, it felt more like a MCU movie.

Then came Justice League, which should have been the biggest DCEU film to date. But the anticipated blockbuster generated the least amount of money from the DCEU slate of movies, and this is despite the movie having more humor added to it via Joss Whedon's reshoots. The first live-action Justice League movie underperformed, a massive disappointment to the studio as well as the countless fans who waited for years to see a live-action version of the team on the big screen. The future of the DCEU was uncertain, and if the studio wanted to make critically-acclaimed movies and generate mostly positive reactions from fans, changes needed to be made... and changes most certainly have been made.

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During Warner Bros.' Hall H panel at Comic-Con International 2018, the slogan "Worlds of DC" was revealed, which is appropriate because some upcoming DC movies - like the Joker movie with Joaquin Phoenix - will be standalone projects, with no connection to the universe that was launched in Man of Steel.

The DCEU has apparently been rebranded, and the road ahead clearly has a lighter tone (for the movies about heroes, not villains, of course), but that doesn't mean the past should be forgotten. If anything, the previous DC movies should be embraced to help further define these iconic characters... and it looks like that is exactly what Shazam! is doing.

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Love or hate Snyder's work, the director built a solid foundation for a shared universe. Classic heroes may have been deconstructed in BvS, but the goal was always to get them to the point that fans know and love. DC's live-action versions of the Trinity has already overcome enormous challenges. After operating for two decades in Gotham, Batman was pushed to his breaking point before realizing just how far he had fallen. Wonder Woman turned her back on humanity after suffering a heartbreaking loss. And Superman was forced to question whether he's truly helping humanity or if his presence is making matters worse. These iconic heroes took time to become the characters everyone recognizes from the comics, but that was apparently always Snyder's plan. Now that these heroes have reached that point, they shouldn't be ignored. They can be recast in the future, but their past should not be thrown away.

Shazam v Batman v Superman

The members of the Justice League are heroes worth admiring, and Shazam! is going all-in on that with Jack Dylan Grazer's character Freddy Freeman, a kid who adores the heroes. Freddy's seen wearing a variety of shirts featuring superhero emblems (and even what appears to be a blurry picture of Batman taken from a security camera), and his room is packed with news articles and books about heroes, as well as superhero memorabilia like a batarang and a bullet that presumably bounced off Superman or was deflected by Wonder Woman.

RELATED: Shazam Could Play a Larger Role in the DCEU

In Freddy's world, Superman has saved the planet three times, and even sacrificed himself to protect it. Batman operated in the shadows of Gotham for two decades, striking fear into bad people. Wonder Woman is a mysterious yet inspirational figure who effortlessly deflects bullets. Even Aquaman is popular enough to warrant a t-shirt worn by this reality's teenagers. Now, these larger than life characters have joined forces. Take a second to imagine just how awesome that must be for Freddy. His world has incredible heroes and it continues to expand. Throwing that foundation away with a reboot would be such a waste.

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Shazam! also has the potential to give Henry Cavill's Superman the BvS follow-up appearance that he truly deserves. Even if the actor doesn't make an actual cameo in Shazam!, being praised as an inspirational figure - and potentially even having his actions debated and supported by Freddy - is more promising than Superman's very polarizing reshoots that occurred in Justice League. Superman's return from the grave in Justice League should have been epic and emotional, yet all fans could talk about was the obvious use of CGI to cover the actor's mustache during blatant reshoots.

To make matters even worse, what appears to be one of Superman's best moments in the Justice League script (stepping back into his suit and meeting Alfred) was a deleted scene. The Shazam! trailer alone, which offers glimpses of Freddy admiring Superman and following his exploits, feels more inspiring than the hero's actual appearance in Justice LeagueShazam! can give Superman the true emergence that he deserves, and in turn, get fans even more excited about a potential Man of Steel 2.

RELATED: Superman Might Make a Cameo in Shazam!

The Worlds of DC had a polarizing start, but Shazam! - which is potentially the most lighthearted modern DC movie yet - embracing Man of Steel, BvS and Justice League's events and having a kid celebrate the heroes shows that the past can be respected and treated as canon while also moving the universe in a brand new direction. There's no need to start from scratch.


Arriving April 5, 2019, director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi as Shazam, Mark Strong as Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, Djimon Hounsou as an ancient wizard named Shazam, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Jack Dylan Grazer as Frederick “Freddy” Freeman, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Cooper Andrews as Victor Vásquez and Marta Milans as Rosa Vásquez.