'SHAZAM!' Set Photos Show DC Character Easter Eggs

In a twist that makes Zachary Levi's joke about a Batman toy having a cameo in Shazam! make a lot [...]

By Russ Burlingame

In a twist that makes Zachary Levi's joke about a Batman toy having a cameo in Shazam! make a lot more sense, Potbelly Gamers on Twitter have posted some apparent set photos, saying that the film features an action sequence set in a toy store.

The account -- which also posted photos of Levi in costume earlier this week -- said that the interior of the toy store looked like a Warner Bros. Studio Store.

The retail chain, which had a sizable collection of DC Comics merchandise, including original art pages, was shuttered in most of the world in 2001, although some countries had stores as late as 2008.

Of course, the internet being what it is, expect the image -- which does indeed feature a Batman toy, alongside Superman, Wonder Woman, Katana, and Harley Quinn -- to fuel speculation about whether or not Shazam! takes place within the shared universe of the other DC movies.

New Line, a division of Warner Bros., is producing Shazam!, rather than Warner Bros. proper. While the film was originally discussed as part of the broader DC Universe, and such terminology has been used in press releases for Shazam!, questions about its ties to Justice League and other recent films based on DC characters have persisted.

You can see the tweet here:

Certainly Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman would be cultural icons likely to have toys whether or not they are "real" in-universe, but it could be argued that a toy based on Harley Quinn -- a criminal who is closely associated with a serial murderer -- would be an odd choice for a children's toy if she were real.

That there is a large, stuffed tiger in the store is also a nice touch, as it is likely a nod to Mister Tawky Tawny, an anthropomorphic tiger who appears as a supporting character in Shazam! comics.

Justice League is now available on Digital HD and hits Blu-ray on March 13th with deleted scenes. The DC Extended Universe continues with Aquaman on December 21st, Shazam on April 5, 2019, Wonder Woman 2 on November 1, 2019, Cyborg in 2020, and Green Lantern Corps in 2020. Other films, including Nightwing, Batgirl, Flashpoint, Suicide Squad 2, are in various stages of development.

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