Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg teases a Peacemaker character's appearance in the sequel. This first Shazam! movie introduced the comic character Billy Batson (Asher Angel) to the DCEU, navigating his adventures as he acquires the ability to transform into an adult superhero (Zachary Levi). The movie proved a hit among fans, who lauded its light-hearted tone and vibrant color palette, which caused WB ad DC to quickly put a sequel in development with the original stars and director returning. Shazam! Fury of the Gods is bigger and better than the previous installment, with fascinating mythical creatures, enchanting locations, and new enemies, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu.
The first trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods was unveiled during WB/DC's Hall H panel at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2022, and it was filled with many hilarious moments throughout, including Shazam's mid-life crisis, his banter with Mirren's villain Hespera, the hysterical Justice League callbacks, and the cheerful familial bonds that the movie is seeking to capitalize. There were also several DCEU Easter eggs, like the Wonder Woman plushie and the Batman doll. But one sneaky cameo was an easy miss as the blurred background in the trailer's museum scene prevented a DCEU character from being discerned.
Now, Sandberg has confirmed on Twitter that the indistinguishable person standing behind Hespera and Kalypso in the museum in the Shazam! 2 trailer is indeed Rizwan Manji, who made his DCEU debut earlier this year with James Gunn's The Suicide Squad spinoff, Peacemaker. As Sandberg mentions, Peter Safran, who produced both the sequel and the series, recommended Manji for a role in Shazam! 2. Although the movie and TV show are set in the same universe, Safran insisted that it wouldn't be a problem since Manji's role in Peacemaker wasn't so big. But after casting him in the movie, Sandberg was dumbfounded as he realized that Manji even danced in Peacemaker's iconic opening credits. Sandberg jokes that Manji could essentially be playing the same character in both projects since his character in Shazam! 2 is never named. Take a look at his tweet below:
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The unintended, subtle crossover between Peacemaker and Shazam! 2 through Manji is undoubtedly amusing. Sandberg may not have planned to bring the character that Gunn created for his TV show back into the DCEU, but it's pleasing that the actor was, nevertheless, able to make his way back into the franchise. Manji's MIT graduate janitor, Jamil, provided considerable comic relief in Peacemaker, and his unlikely friendship with John Cena's Christopher Smith was one of the more humorous highlights of the show, which proved that Peacemaker is capable of humanity. Judging by Manji's presence in the sequel's trailer, it seems that he might share a scene with Liu and Mirren's Shazam! 2 villains as they infiltrate the museum, presumably prompting the sequel to make use of his comedic talents.
Interestingly, Manji's role in Shazam! 2 did not go unnoticed by Gunn, who quipped in the thread that he thinks of Manji's character as Jamil's more successful brother. Gunn meant that as a joke, but if the showrunner and filmmaker decide, they can make this idea cannon, connecting the Shazam and Suicide Squad franchises in the most unexpected way possible. That said, Manji's Jamil had entertained audiences to the fullest in Peacemaker, and it's exciting to know that the actor is coming with more comedic chops in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, even though his character might be different than before.
Source: David F. Sandberg
