James Gunn DCU Reboot Might Not Be The End For Shazam
Zachary Levi sheds some light on the possible future of the character in the wake of the reboot of the cinematic universe.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods was finally released last week, continuing the story of Billy Batson and his family.
Though the critical reception was rather underwhelming, audiences were much warmer to the film, giving it an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
But the future adventures of the titular superhero remained in question.
Will the upcoming reboot of the DC Universe under the direction of James Gunn, the first phase of which will be called Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, include the fan-favorite superhero?
Or will he suffer the same fate as Henry Cavill 's Superman or Dwayne Johnson 's Black Adam?
In a recent interview, Zachary Levi, who portrays the heroic alter ego of Billy Batson, shared his rather optimistic thoughts on the matter.
"Listen, I've talked to Peter a good bit, we're gonna talk more on this tour. Certainly, the idea is to continue the character, this world. It's a really enjoyable extension of the DCU.
It has DNA that a lot of the other characters and extensions don't necessarily have because we are a more family [movie]... [That] kind of franchise comes with a lot of fun," said the actor in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
Levi also pointed out that "the idea is to keep" the Shazam! franchise going, and encouraged viewers to see the movie because it would increase the chances of more stories being made about the character in the future.
While fans are generally happy to see more of their beloved superhero's adventures, they express concern about the latter part of Zachary's statement.
Despite the warm reception from the public, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has grossed only $30.5 million in the US and Canada and $35 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $65.5 million, making it the third worst grosser of the DCU.
This dismal performance puts the superhero's future in the new DCU in jeopardy.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods picks up two years after the previous movie and focuses on Shazam and his foster siblings as they face off against Hespera and Kalypso, two of the daughters of the Titan Atlas. The film is currently in theaters.