DC Movie & Comic References in the Shazam! Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer for director David F. Sandberg's Shazam! had a high hurdle to clear, as much of the focus on the film over the past several months had been on star Zachary Levi's costume (a lot of fans hated it), and whether the film could help the largely dreary DC Extended Universe turn a corner without devolving into camp. Although the may still be out when it comes to the costume, the trailer's tone appeared to win over much of the Comic-Con International crowd.

As a still image released last week confirmed, Shazam! is indeed set in the same fictional world as Warner Bros.' Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman and Justice League. But the connections go beyond a framed copy of the Daily Planet on Freddy Freeman's bedroom wall. The trailer is littered with nods to both the so-called DCEU and DC comics. We break them down here.

Who Watches the ... Foster Children?

The collection of yellow smiley faces on the desk of Billy Batson's social worker may seem like little more than attempt to inject a bit of levity into the lives of children in search of a home. But director David F. Sandberg has confirmed it is, indeed, a nod to Watchmen. He even shared a set photo that reveals one of the smiley faces has a telltale red splotch on its face.

In the seminal 1986-1987 comics series by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins, the smiley face -- blood-spattered and otherwise -- was a recurring motif, appearing everywhere from a badge on The Comedian's costume to the surface of Mars to the cover of the first issue. The addition of the blood stain of course dramatically alters what's usually viewed as a symbol of innocence. That said, we probably shouldn't read too much into what's on the social worker's desk.

Hopping on the Aquaman Bandwagon

A fanboy with a collection of memorabilia from a world in which superheroes actually exist, Freddy Freeman wears a series of T-shirts throughout the trailer, each emblazoned with the logo of a different figure, beginning with Aquaman. There's also some sort of Superman model on his desk.

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Is That a Licensed Batarang?

We previously got a look at the bulk of Freddy's collection, which includes the framed front page of the Daily Planet, a Time magazine whose cover is devoted to General Zod's invasion of Earth in 2013's Man of Steel, some assorted Superman memorabilia, and this Batarang replica. At least we think it's a replica, not one of the Dark Knight's actual weapons, salvaged from a Gotham City alleyway.

But of course, if there's a collector's market for mangled bullets that have bounced of off Superman, then there's probably a demand on eBay (or the DC Universe's version of that) for slightly used Batarangs.

Ripped From the Headlines

The aforementioned slug, complete with certificate of authenticity, is kept in a drawer in Freddy's bedroom for safekeeping, along with assorted newspapers -- most notably the Daily Planet and Gotham Free Press -- commemorating significant moments in the superhero history of the so-called DC Extended Universe.

Director David F. Sandberg has showcased some of Freddy's collectibles, including the Time cover, a Daily Planet front page that trumpets "Gotham Crime Rate Soars," and another that reflects the aftermath of the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, revealing that Lex Luthor is targeted for his abuse of alien technology.

Welcome to Fawcett Central

As we noted in the initial analysis of the teaser trailer, the name of Billy and Freddy's school is an homage to Fawcett Comics, the publisher of Whiz Comics, which in 1940 introduced Captain Marvel (aka Shazam). He was the most popular superhero in the 1940s, outselling even Superman, and was the first superhero to make the leap to film, in the 1941 serial, Adventures of Captain Marvel.

However, a copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by Superman publisher National Comics, as DC was then known, contributed to Fawcett ceasing the publication of all Captain Marvel-related comics in 1953. Nearly two decades later, DC licensed those characters, along with Bulletman, Spy Smasher and other Fawcett heroes, before eventually buying them outright, and integrating them into its own superhero universe. Beginning in 1985, Billy Batson and others were based in Fawcett City, a tribute to their original publisher.

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To the Bat-Signal!

Here, Freddy trades in his Aquaman tee for one emblazoned with a faded Batman emblem, similar to the one that adorned the Dark Knight's costume in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and was used in the film's logo. Freddy dons what looks to be another Batman T-shirt in a later scene in which Shazam drops the bullies' truck in front of the school.

Well, They ARE a Dynamic Duo

After his transformation, a frantic Billy (as the adult Shazam) searches out Freddy for guidance, saying, "You're the only person I know that knows anything about this caped crusader stuff!" Although he uses "caped crusader" as an umbrella term for superheroes, it's of course a frequent epithet for Batman, and sometimes for Batman and Robin collectively.

Shout-Out to Ancient Atlantis

During the comical super-power test montage, Shazam uses a graffiti-covered half-pipe ramp to launch himself into the air, with mixed results. On the right side, written with red paint, is "Arion," which could be dismissed as a misspelling or a nickname -- except that it actually appears to be a somewhat-obscure DC Easter egg.

In comics lore, Arion was an ancient Atlantean sorcerer who sacrificed his life to save Atlantis, only to exist for 500,000 years in an intangible form. He returned to the physical world about 45,000 years ago to serve as the protector of the kingdom.

You're a Wonder, Wonder Woman

As Shazam gleefully super-charging the cellphones of passersby -- or over-charging them, in one case -- Freddy wears what looks to be a Wonder Woman T-shirt, bearing the logo introduced in the marketing for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and adapted for her hit 2017 solo movie.

The Return of Tawky Tawny

The close-up Shazam reveals some terrific details about his costume, which we spotted in photos leaked in March from the film's Toronto set. It's not the texture, or even the piping on the cape, but instead the twin clasps: They're tiger heads, a tribute to Mister Tawky Tawny, the beloved supporting character introduced in 1947 in Captain Marvel Adventures #47.

An anthropomorphic tiger (yes) with a fondness for garishly colored, and patterned, tweed suits, Tawny was revealed to have been in regular tiger that had been wrongly accused of killing a man in his native India. Seeking to clear his name, he sought out a serum that granted him the ability to stand upright and talk. He's one of the sillier elements in Shazam history but holds a special place in the hearts of fans. More recently he's been depicted in the comics as a normal tiger at the Philadelphia Zoo befriended by Billy Batson. Stuffed tigers are shown in the trailer, and cropped up regularly in the promotional lead-up, perhaps hinting that Tawny will make an appearance, in some form, in Shazam!

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.