Warning: Spoilers Ahead For Shazam! Fury Of The Gods
Shazam! Fury of the Gods has sparked yet another controversy regarding James Gunn's new DCU, but in this case, the filmmaker is immediately shutting down his critics. The mid-credits scene in Fury of the Gods reveals Shazam being recruited for the Justice Society by ARGUS agents John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). The controversy arose as a result of Holland's casting, with some angry fans claiming that her relationship with Gunn, whom she married last October, has earned her recent cameos in DC projects like The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Black Adam and, most recently, Fury of the Gods.
Known for responding to erroneous or toxic fan campaigns, James Gunn was quick to put an end to any criticisms regarding his wife's appearance in Fury of the Gods. Only hours after the film entered wide release, Gunn took to Twitter to clarify her cameo. Check out his Tweet below:
Understandably fed up with allegations of nepotism, Gunn confirmed that he had nothing to do with Holland's appearance in Black Adam or Fury of the Gods, citing that he was busy working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 during the latter's production. Moreover, Gunn claims to have only cast Holland for her initial DC appearance in The Suicide Squad, long before he took over as the creative head of DC.
What Does Emilia Harcourt's Shazam 2 Cameo Mean For The DCU?
Shazam! Fury of the Gods' post-credit scenes tease a bigger future for Zachary Levi's titular superhero in the DCU. The appearance from agents Harcourt and Economos especially suggests that Shazam could have a future as a member of the Justice Society, which made its live-action debut last year in Black Adam. This marks the first time that DC has given any indication of the Justice Society's future in the DCU. The scene also suggests that, despite his recent meeting with Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, Shazam will not be a part of the DCU's Justice League in the future, as was always the assumption regarding his character.
Harcourt's mid-credits scene also calls into question whether Shazam will remain DCU canon following James Gunn's soft reboot of the franchise in coming years. Unlike other titles from the DCEU, the Shazam! franchise has been relatively self-contained, making it particularly easy to fold the films into the new DCU. However, Gadot's appearance earlier in Fury of the Gods does complicate matters, especially after her own character's future has grown uncertain. Nevertheless, the fact that DC didn't pull Harcourt's mid-credits scene suggests that the franchise does intend to use Shazam in the future, though it is far from a sure sign that the character will stick around.
Furthermore, Emilia Harcourt's back-to-back DC appearances in Black Adam and Fury of the Gods further confirm ARGUS director Amanda Waller as the DCU's Nick Fury, continuing to gather heroes into her own team, the Justice Society. Viola Davis's character is confirmed to survive the DCU reboot, thanks to her very own solo project, which will likely tie together some of the loose strands left behind by the transition. Whether or not Waller and Harcourt's work in Shazam! Fury of the Gods will have long-term effects on the DCU, however, remains to be seen.
Source: Twitter
