Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi endorsed and shared a report on Instagram, which claimed that Dwayne Johnson blocked a post-credits scene in the film. The report alleged that Johnson wanted to put himself at the centre of the DC Universe, attempting to restructure it and sabotaging other plans for the studio. The scrapped post-credits scene in Shazam! Fury of the Gods would have originally seen Billy Batson getting recruited by the Justice Society of America (JSA). However, director David F. Sandberg confirmed that the scene “fell apart three days before” the team started rolling cameras.
“So, Peter Safran, who produced this movie and Peacemaker, made some calls, and thankfully, Jen Holland and Steve Agee were able to come by on very short notice,” director Sandberg told The Hollywood Reporter, in regard to the oddly placed mid-credits scene. A report in TheWrap also alleges that Johnson, who lobbied to have a standalone entry for Black Adam, nixed a potential cameo of Levi’s Shazam! in the film. The scene was instead replaced with a Henry Cavill Superman cameo, which Johnson intended to further expand into a heavyweight bout between the two. This led to Cavill’s induction back into the DC Universe in October, followed by his eventual departure, as James Gunn and Safran joined the board to co-lead DC Studios. Gunn announced a massive restructuring for his vision of the DCU last month, involving a younger Superman, albeit it’s not an origin story. Titled ‘Superman: Legacy,’ the film is set to release on July 11, 2025, with Gunn serving as writer and director.
Those plans did not include any mention of Black Adam — effectively killing any chances for a sequel. However, Gunn will “continue exploring the most valuable ways” the character can be used in future DC multiverse chapters. While Levi’s Shazam doesn’t contradict future plans for DC, seeing the box office numbers from the latest DC film’s opening weekend, things remain uncertain. Shazam 2 has grossed merely $65.5 million (about Rs. 541 crore) at the global box office, whilst gaining a 51 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Director Sandberg said earlier this week that he was “done with superheroes for now” and was eager to return to his horror roots. The filmmaker did note, however, that if enough people watched Shazam! Fury of the Gods in theatres, there is a chance that the character would prevail in the new DCU.
Meanwhile, star Levi has pinned Shazam 2’s box office disappointment on Warner Bros.’ marketing campaign. “…I think the biggest issue we’re having is marketing. This is a perfect family movie, and yet a lot of families aren’t aware of that. Which is just a shame,” he responded to a fan on Twitter. The first Shazam! movie not only grossed $366 million (about Rs. 3,025 crore) at the global box office, but was also loved by critics and audiences alike. Going by Rotten Tomatoes — which director Sandberg seems to prefer — the 2017 film scored a 90 percent critics score and 82 percent from the general audience.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing in theatres worldwide. In India, Shazam 2 is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
