Batman Kind of Makes an Appearance in New 'Shazam!' Trailer

After having seen t-shirts, headlines, and even a Batarang suggesting the existence of DC superheroes like Superman, Batman, and Aquaman in previous Shazam! trailers and TV spots, the latest full trailer (seen above) for the upcoming Warner Bros./New Line superhero flick put Batman in the film...

...kind of.

During a fight with Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong), Shazam (Zachary Levi) is being chased through a toy store. He lifts a large (about 36") talking Batman toy over his shoulder, throwing it at Sivana as the toy declares, "I'm Batman."

It is not quite a Michael Keaton reference, but it also is not a toy based clearly on the Ben Affleck Batman. Still, the figure -- you could buy one at Walmart around the time Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was in theaters -- is a fun nod to the fact that, apparently, the world has fully embraced superheroes post-Justice League in a way it did not during Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.

The scene, which also features padded Superman costumes of the sort you see in toy aisles and Halloween stores, was one of the earliest ones filmed for the movie, and set spies had previously pointed out not just what was then a very early look at Shazam's costume, but also the toys. Other toys included were Suicide Squad plush dolls.

One has to wonder whether, in-universe, people are upset about toy stores selling cuddly dolls based on The Joker, a person who was a known mass murderer whose victims were recent enough to still have family mourning. But that is likely a whole other conversation.

The New Line Cinema adaptation of the DC Comics superhero stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson and Zachary Levi as Batson's mystically-powered superhero alter ego, the titular Shazam. The film also stars Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou

Shazam! opens in theaters on April 5th.

Other 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.

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