The Future Of Shazam
Shazam! has wasted no time in revitalizing the DCEU. Critics and audiences from around the world are loving it, and I could not be happier. While the current box office stat is considerably low for a DC movie, sat at $279 million, the movie has actually benefited thanks to its low budget of around $80-$100 million.
With such a positive response, it’s no surprise that fans are demanding more, and Shazam! definitely sets up, what could be, an incredibly exciting future for both Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and the DCEU.
According to The Wrap, it appears that Warner Bros. are reading to start working on the next chapter after, reportedly, bringing back Henry Gayden to write the screenplay for Shazam 2. Along with Gayden, the report also indicated that David F. Sandberg and Peter Safran are expected to return. This is fantastic news! but Shazam 2 has not yet been greenlit by the studios, but it is making very good progress.
For those that are familiar with the character of Shazam, you probably noticed a particular character was absent from Shazam! that’s right, Black Adam. Check out BossLogic’s art which gives a pretty accurate depiction of what The Rock could look like as Black Adam.
Black Adam @therock – Reported to start shooting in 2020 #IsaidItFirst #blackadam pic.twitter.com/zsxyITP0rZ
— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) April 8, 2019
Dwayne Johnson was casted as Black Adam back in 2014 and I think many people were beginning to think a live-action Black Adam would never happen but it seems that the wait has finally paid off. As a producer for Shazam!, Johnson was over the moon by the critical response and the overall attention it was getting and decided to share this video as a massive ‘thank you’ and as a little glimpse into the future.
So it seems that leaving Black Adam out was an intentional move. Thanks to Johnson, Shazam and Black Adam were able to secure their own solo film before the inevitable crossover. From what Johnson said in his video, the early draft for Shazam! definitely included Black Adam but as he explains:
“We were trying to tell two origin stories in one script”
In the long run I think this was a brilliant move. Shazam! gave fans, what I believe to be, a pretty fleshed out origin story that dived into unknown territories of magic. Considering Black Adam’s history, a solo movie is a fantastic idea and this could an entirely different movie compared to Shazam! if they focus on the Egyptian mythology surrounding Black Adam.
So not only will we get a Black Adam movie that focuses entirely on him but we are guaranteed a film that focuses on the conflict between Shazam and Black Adam- Johnson even teased that he intends to beat Shazam and the Shazam Family, and as an ancient Egyptian who has had years and years to refine his powers I have no doubt that he could do it with one hand tied behind his back.
From what has been set in motion it seems that we may get:
Black Adam – which is set to film next year, according to Johnson.
Shazam 2
Black Adam vs Shazam
But then again, Shazam 2 could be the movie that brings in Black Adam. However, with the teases in Shazam! I would much rather have a film that focuses entirely on Shazam vs Black Adam. Having said that I do trust The Rock with this project, he seems incredibly patient and passionate about this character and that is what I love… and lets face it, who else could play Black Adam? I’ll wait.
With things moving a lot quicker than I predicted we may get more official news in the coming months. While we wait, I want to know what you want to see in a sequel, are there particular villains you would like to see or certain story lines you would like to see adapted? Let us know in the comments below!
And remember, Just say the word!
James Lister is a University student in the UK, currently undertaking his Masters degree in Media & Communication. He has a strong passion for everything Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and Anime related.
