DC’s movie slate is changing its schedule once again. On Wednesday, a new report confirmed that the upcoming live-action blockbusters Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will be delaying their release dates once again. The Shazam! sequel, which was originally scheduled to open on December 21, 2022, will now be opening on March 17, 2023. The Aquaman sequel, which was originally scheduled for that March date, will now be delayed for the better part of 2023, opening on December 25, 2023.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg has already taken to Twitter to address the change, revealing that it was, in part, to avoid competing with Avatar: The Way of Water for IMAX screens in December of 2022.
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These release date delays come amid an ever-growing number of changes made at the newly-minted Warner Bros. Discovery, beginning with the shocking cancellation of DC’s Batgirl movie, which was planned to be released on HBO Max but had been rumored to be getting its own theatrical release. In the time since that decision was publicly announced, fans have speculated about the future about other upcoming or already-wrapped DC projects, especially after new CEO David Zaslav hinted at a ten-year plan for the DC universe onscreen.
In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. The film will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in an unknown role, while Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman.
Meanwhile, Shazam! Fury of the Gods stars Asher Angel and Zachary Levi as Billy Batson / Shazam!, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro, Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez, and Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez. New cast members also include Rachel Zegler in a currently-unknown role, Helen Mirren as Hespera, and Lucy Liu as Kalypso.
What do you think of Aquaman and Shazam! sequels getting delayed again? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
h/t: Deadline
