Shazam! Star Adam Brody on Potential Sequels and Spinoffs

In addition to telling Billy Batson's origin story, Shazam! established some pretty significant parts of DC Comics lore, including introducing the grown-up versions of the Shazam! family. Many have assumed that the Shazam! family will play a larger role in the film's in-development sequel and beyond, and it sounds like one of the film's stars is on board with that. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Adam Brody was asked if considered the Shazam! franchise's potential future before signing on to play the adult version of Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer).

"Yes, but only in success." Brody revealed. "No one's in the business anymore of making $100 million movies that aren't made to be worlds. Even trilogies aren't enough; they're not even the model anymore. I'm not even saying this as a bad thing. Real success is a trilogy plus spinoffs. Real success is creating full worlds. Anything with that budget is made to make more of in success, which is exciting. That's the thrill. In a way, it's like doing a huge pilot."

In the film, Billy (Asher Angel) helped his foster siblings harness the power of Shazam!, which allowed them to help in the fight against Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong).

"I saw a lot of speculating online about the kids turning into their adult counterparts." director David F. Sandberg explained in an interview earlier this year. "But people thought there was no way we'd do that in the first film, that we'd save it for the sequel or somewhere down the line."

"But for us, it was like, no, let's do the best we can right now." Sandberg continued. "I think that's a better way to go. You never know if later is going to happen, so you shouldn't hold back for no reason. Plus, the movie builds on this family theme, and the big payoff is that anyone can become a superhero, no matter your background."

The fact that the Shazam! family has been established so early proved to be a pleasant surprise for many, especially as the sequel and a Black Adam standalone film are both on the dock.

"It feels like we could do more with the Shazam family. We just introduced them, but you could explore how they work as a family of heroes," Sandberg said of potential plans for a sequel. "And we threw in a little mid-credits scene with Mister Mind, and you could go down that road. Or you could introduce another villain. There are plenty of ones to choose from in the Shazam world."

What do you hope to see in a Shazam! sequel? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Upcoming DC movies include Joker on October 4th, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020, The Batman on June 25, 2021, The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021, and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.