Credit: Shazam!
The world of DC is in an odd position.
Currently, six films are set to be released in the DC universe: Shazam: Fury of the Gods (March 17, 2023), The Flash (June 23, 2023), Blue Beetle (August 18, 2023), Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 25, 2023), and Joker: Folie a Deux (October 4, 2024). However, the Todd Philips sequel to the 2019 hit has always been a separate thing, so Joker 2 doesn’t really count as a film that’s shared with the DCEU. However, everything else does, and the world of DC has been crumbling slowly since James Gunn, and Peter Safran took over the division in late October. One by one, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Henry Cavill (Superman), Ben Affleck (Batman), and Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam) confirmed that they would no longer be playing the iconic characters.
Given the recent reports, it appears that everyone under Zack Snyder’s DECU is in trouble of being recast, including James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker properties. This likely means that the upcoming slate of films is somewhat meaningless (minus Joker 2) since the purpose was to add more dimension to the overall world of the DCEU; however, since everything is being changed, then the stories for these upcoming films will never truly see a satisfying resolution.
Credit: Shazam: Fury of the Gods
As you can imagine, many fans are freaking out because so many of their beloved actors are no longer playing their favorite characters, and many are calling to question whether Zachary Levi’s time as Shazam! is over; Considering the fact that Dwayne Johnson was the latest casualty, Levi addressed the fans over his position as Shazam!, “Oooh, I really wouldn’t go believing everything you see on the internet. I’m Gucci, Ash. We all Gucci.”
With Shazam: Fury of the Gods coming in less than four months, it’s understandable that Levi wants to defend his position as the DC superhero. At the end of the day, some fans will lose interest in the film if it’s revealed beforehand that Levi is no longer playing the titular character, so he’s clearly trying to save face on the situation. However, unless James Gunn comes out and personally says that Levi is safe as Shazam, then I would take his words with a grain of salt. If Gunn is really looking to reboot the entire DC Universe, then it would be best to wipe everyone out on the current roster. This isn’t to say that Levi isn’t a good Shazam because he’s actually perfect for the role. However, the DCEU is in a dire state because it just isn’t living up to the expectations that fans were hoping for.
Credit: Shazam!
The DC universe is full of rich and colorful characters that can translate to strong stories in both the live-action and animated fold; however, the lack of clear leadership following the departure of Zack Snyder has really damaged the brand overall. Plus, it doesn’t help that most of the DCEU films have been quite lackluster as well. It sucks that these talented actors won’t be reprising these iconic roles, but it’s ultimately the best decision for Warners Brothers Discovery to completely start from scratch if they ever hope to truly reach the heights that Marvel has. Nevertheless, financially speaking, Shazam! wouldn’t be a huge loss to the DC universe, as the first film only made $366 million worldwide. It’s not a flop because the budget was around $100 million, though that number is pretty low for a superhero film.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods is scheduled to be the first DCEU film released next year; Originally, the sequel was set for December 21, 2022, but the date shifted after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom got moved up.
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