Shazam! may not be a film superhero lovers knew they wanted, but Warner Bros. has convinced many it is the film they have been waiting for. This spring, the DC Film will head into theaters at long last, adding on to the history that is the DC Extended Universe. Just don’t expect for Shazam! to get all buddy-buddy with Justice League. In fact, the film’s director says the movie and its reception had no impact on Shazam! in any way.
During a recent set visit, ComicBook.com got the chance to chat with David F. Sandberg about his film. It was there the director addressed Justice League‘s lackluster reception by saying it did not factor into anything Shazam! wanted to do.
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“It’s such a separate film that I don’t think it changed anything really,” Sandberg said. “It’s very different from Justice League. It’s still the same universe and thing but it just has a very different tone.”
Of course, fans do know Shazam! will use its place in the DCEU to its advantage. The film’s first trailer referenced other superheroes like Batman and Superman very obviously. Newspaper headlines and themed T-shirts promised the kids of Shazam! would know all about their world’s heroes, and star Zachary Levi stressed the film would not disappoint with its references.
“Our movie takes place very squarely in the DC Universe,” the actor previously said.
Continuing, Levi went on to say Shazam! would use its DCEU inclusion to make some very self-aware observations about some of DC’s top heroes.
“In fact, I would argue that we’re kind of the most self-aware of it because the movies that we all watch — I mean, Aquaman and Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman — they’re all basically documentaries in their world,” Levi told Entertainment Tonight. “These things, these are all real events that have happened. Batman and Superman fighting, Superman saving all of Metropolis, whilst simultaneously destroying the entire city — that all really happened.”
So, are you glad to hear Shazam! is staying away from any Justice League ties? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
Shazam! opens in theaters on April 5th. Upcoming DC Extended Universe movies include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020.
