'Shazam!' Photo Seemingly Confirms 'Justice League' Ties

A first-look image of Shazam!'s Billy Batson released ahead of the film's Comic Con panel this weekend seems to confirm that the movie will take place in the cinematic universe shared by Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and Justice League.

Shazam! went into production around the time DC's movies were beginning to have serious problems, which -- combined with the fact that it was made at Warner's New Line shingle -- led some fans to wonder whether the movie would share a space with the "DC Extended Universe" at all. It seemed tonally different and the content lent itself to a stand-alone narrative, since the title character was a DC hero purchased from a defunct rival publishing company and often had stories that isolated him from the rest of the DC Universe.

In one photo, though, Shazam! producers revealed not just a first look at Billy, but a look at Freddy Freeman wearing an Aquaman t-shirt. That could easily enough be chalked up to "there is an Aquaman movie in this universe," as could the (replica?) Batarang sitting on a shelf behind the pair.

What is a more convincing argument for Shazam! taking place in the DCEU is that Freddy's room also features a Time magazine cover featuring the Black Zero -- General Zod's ship, which created a panic in the sky in Man of Steel.

Not far from that, behind Freddy's head at the top right of the image, is a Daily Planet newspaper trumpeting Superman's return -- suggesting that not only does Shazam! share a universe with the DCEU but it takes place following the events of Justice League.

Shazam! stars Levi, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Ron Cephas Jones, Grace Fulton, Asher Angel, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Caroline Palmer, and Andi Osho.

Justice League is now on home video. The DCEU continues with Aquaman on December 21, Shazam! on April 5, 2019, Wonder Woman 2 on November 1, 2019. Cyborg and Green Lantern Corps are still in development, along with numerous other films, but it is not yet clear what impact changes at DC management will have on their timetables for production and release.

h/t: Entertainment Weekly