The ending scene of Shazam! made us very curious for the future of Shazam! 2. The movie gave us little nods to other DC heroes, but the big surprise came at the post-credits scene. Was it a bird, or plane? Nope, it was the big blue boy scout himself, Superman, or at least from the neck down. Henry Cavill was originally slated to cameo at the end of Shazam!, but negotiations between Warner Bros. and his manager fell out. What happened after that is old news, as it was reported that Cavill was out as Superman. As a result of that issue, Superman’s face in Shazam was never shown, because it simply wasn’t Henry Cavill in the costume. Unfortunate as that was, there is still hope for the future like the “S” on Superman’s chest stands for. The reports claimed that Cavill was out, but nothing was confirmed.
Cavill has recently talked about the rumors and vehemently claimed that he hasn’t given up on the role. That’s good news for us, because Superman’s return to the DCEU is inevitable. Guess where he’s rumored to appear next? You guessed it, and it’s alongside Shazam again. Recent reports suggest that Superman is set to return in Shazam! 2, but not in the way you would think. The ending scene in Shazam! showed Superman, Shazam and Freddy about to eat lunch together. This was a great scene, because it showed us that the two heroes already established some kind of friendly relationship. Not only was this a great place to end, but it set up a potential partnership for future sequels. Superman and Shazam are both very powerful heroes, so how awesome would it be to see them fight together?
The many reports, however, suggest that Superman won’t be appearing in Shazam 2 as a friend. If you ever watched the animated Justice League Unlimited show or read Kingdom Come, you’ll know what a fight between Superman and Shazam is like. That’s right, Superman will possibly be a very big physical threat in Shazam! 2. Why would this happen? In the mid-credits scene, the imprisoned Doctor Sivana was visited by a small alien worm called Mister Mind. This is an unusual DC villain, but he’s one of Shazam’s most prominent foes. His powers are all about mind control and hypnosis, making him way more dangerous than he appears to be.
An evil, telepathic bug and Superman aren’t a good mix and bad news for Shazam. Shazam! 2 just might feature Superman under the control of Mister Mind in order to battle Shazam. When Mister Mind visited Doctor Sivana, he proposed a potential alliance between them. With Mister Mind being a two-inch word and Sivana losing his powers, they would need some serious muscle to challenge Shazam. This is exactly where Superman would come in, considering Shazam is already on good terms with him. That would make their forced battle personal and twice as difficult for Shazam, especially against a Superman who wouldn’t hold back. Cartoon or comics, the fights between the two heroes are always fun to watch, so a fight between them on the big-screen would be super epic.
Now I’m all for Superman fighting Shazam as a mind-controlled slave in Shazam 2. However, there are some issues with this route. One of the biggest criticisms Cavill’s Superman faced was his lack of pure happiness. His Superman was considered to be a darker version than we’re used to seeing, and that rubbed many fans the wrong way. That’s why when he finally portrayed the hero as a smiling, jubilant hero who spewed out cornball lines in Justice League we’ve been wanting to see all along, we were all happy. It made fans want to see him more in future films, as the days of sad Superman were behind them. Having him come back as a villain, even if he is under mind control, would take us back to that, and it’s something we’d rather not see.
Does that mean it can’t work? Not at all, but if he does return as a mind-controlled henchman, it has to be brief. If Superman is going to duke it out with Shazam, then I’m all for the angry Supes to return. Shazam would eventually free him from Mister Mind’s control and the heroic Superman would return. At that point, the true nature behind their relationship would be revealed. Are they friends or was joining him for lunch just a one-time thing? Better yet, is Superman aware that Shazam is actually a young kid? These questions can be answered in Shazam! 2 and can lead to a very special bond between the two heroes.
My guess is that Superman is unaware of Shazam’s true identity. It’s highly likely that the young Billy Batson would want to keep his identity a secret. I mean, if Superman or other heroes were to discover if Shazam was actually a kid, they probably wouldn’t let him put himself in harms way. What if Superman were to discover that Shazam is really the young Billy Batson in Shazam! 2? He certainly wouldn’t be happy about it, but their relationship would become more than just a friendship.
Fans of the DC animated short films should watch Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam. This short film really established an almost brotherly bond between them, with Clark Kent acting like a big brother to Billy. The best example of this is when Clark explains to Billy how being good is harder than being bad, and that’s why it’s so important. The greater the struggle, the greater the triumph. That’s basically what he was saying to Billy, urging him to never give up on being the better person, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.
Since Billy is a troubled child, he is in desperate need of a mentor who can show him how to be a more responsible hero. Billy was already beginning to learn that lesson by the end of Shazam! so having Superman as his mentor would only encourage him to be a better hero. That’s the kind of role Superman should play in Shazam 2, even more so than just being the big power-player. For now, those reports are just rumors, but if there’s some truth to them, we need to see more of big brother Superman over the mind-controlled slave Superman.
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