Shazam! was one of the DCU's biggest hits, with the relatively small film surprising many viewers, but it did have one major flaw: it wasted Shazam's classic rival. Although the film's main villain was Doctor Sivana, Shazam! actually introduced another major character, one that has been a foe to Shazam! since the very beginning. However, this classic character hasn't gotten much screentime since the original Shazam!, and with the DCU's inevitable reboot on the horizon, it feels as if the film wasted him.

Although the DCU originally started with 2013's Man of Steel, a series of critical and commercial failings have led the franchise to a state of disarray. Recently, though, James Gunn and Peter Safran became the heads of DC Studios, and are gearing up to introduce an all-new plan. Unlike previous leadership changes, Gunn and Safran's DC slate seems to be more of a reboot, recasting Henry Cavill's Superman, introducing new heroes like Mister Terrific, and potentially setting up an all-new Justice League. In the midst of all this, Shazam! is one of the properties where it is unclear if there will be a DCU future for them, and if the series truly is rebooted, Shazam's greatest villain will have been completely wasted.

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Shazam! Set Up One Of The Hero's Oldest, Weirdest Villains

While the first Shazam! movie featured a fairly generic villain, with Sivana being a wealthy man hellbent on finding and stealing the source of Shazam's powers, the film actually set up another more interesting villain. In the post-credits scene, Sivana can be seen in a jail cell talking to a telepathic worm named Mister Mind. The villain has been facing off against Shazam since 1943, with the mind-controlling worm from Venus using his superior intellect to implement a full-blown worm invasion of Earth. Mister Mind is one of DC's weirdest villains, and that makes him a perfect fit for the Shazam! series.

In a time when the DCU was full of dark movies like Suicide Squad and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Shazam! was beloved for its fun, lighthearted tone. Shazam! wasn't afraid to be silly and weird, and Mister Mind would have doubled down on this tone in the sequel. Rather than having a generic magic user again, Mister Mind would have made Shazam 2 stand out from the crowd, as he is a character that could only really be used in a film with that tone.

Saving Mr. Mind May Work Out In The Long Run

Zachary Levi in Shazam Fury of the Gods

Mister Mind won't be in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and that might actually be a good thing. The long-awaited sequel is on the horizon, and while many are excited to see it, Shazam! could get rebooted in the DCU. This would mean that the sequel has no effect on the broader franchise, and anything in it may not be seen outside of the film.

Saving Mister Mind for another film is a much better plan, as any major elements that are introduced in the next few DCU films will be bogged down in all kinds of DCU drama and speculation. It's much better not to feature Mister Mind in this lame-duck movie, as although the character is goofy, he's pretty important to the DC story. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will actually feature villains not from the comics known as the Daughters of Atlas, which is much better for the series right before the ensuing reboot.

Next: Shazam 2: Why The Same Actress Now Plays Both Versions Of Mary

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