The DCU could be getting a full reboot, yet if there was one movie to keep for the future, it should be Shazam!. With James Gunn and Peter Safran now at the helm, DC Studios is looking to salvage the sinking ship that is the DCU. That’s led to some major shakeups, including Henry Cavill no longer being Superman despite his return in Black Adam and Patty Jenkins leaving Wonder Woman 3. Yet, there are still many great aspects of the DCU worth carrying over, especially the unexpectedly perfect casting of characters like Harley Quinn, Aquaman, and Shazam.
Importantly, while it approaches its end, the DCU will soon be celebrating its biggest year yet, as four new DCU films will be released in 2023. In fact, the next one up is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, coming out on March 17th. A safe bet is that Gunn and Safran might use the former’s previous work in the DCU with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker to build out. However, they are already intricately tied to the existing DCU lore and all the complicated baggage that brings. Conversely, Shazam! is a thing completely unto itself within the franchise and could serve as a strong foundation for the DCU’s future.
Shazam! Isn't Tied Too Closely To The DCU
Intriguingly, Shazam!’s saving grace is that it’s the odd one out of the DCU, salvageable for its limited connectivity to the previous regime. The same presumably goes for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, one of the most highly-anticipated sci-fi films of 2023. They are the most similar in tone to the MCU, favoring a lighter humor and a brighter aesthetic, which in the wake of the DCU’s troubles, could be safe ground to build up from. Of course, there are references to the greater DCU, but that’s all they are, references. It gives easy leeway to retcon with the new heroes Gunn might be bringing in.
This would be a different case if not for all the constant upheavals over the years. If there were plans for a new Justice League movie, Shazam would’ve surely been incorporated into it, and thus he would be a more integrated character. Even the recent introduction of his nemesis, Black Adam, doesn’t link him more intrinsically with the established DCU. Black Adam and Shazam won’t be fighting in the DCU as Black Adam chose to establish a rivalry between the Khandaqi anti-hero and Cavill’s Superman instead, which will also never come to fruition. Shazam! is already perfectly suited to be moved over to the new DCU if the time comes.
Why Shazam!'s Superman Cameo Isn't A Problem
One caveat might have some thinking Shazam! is still in the same boat as the rest of the DCU - its final scene - but that’s not really an issue thanks to its own ambiguity. It featured Shazam surprising his foster brother, Freddy, at school with a very special guest, Superman. However, his face was never shown as Cavill was unavailable to film at the time. Instead, they used Zachary Levi’s stunt double, which opens up the option that this was always the new Superman, whoever is recast in the role.
This is where Black Adam set itself up for future problems. If Black Adam had simply teased Superman and/or used a body double without showing Cavill’s face in the post-credits - or better yet, established a connection between Black Adam and Shazam - it could be on the lifeboat with Shazam!. Yet, that’s clearly not the case; though, in its defense, there was no way to predict a future quite like this. All in all, Shazam! isn’t restrictively tethered to the established canon, giving James Gunn plenty to play off of to create a new DCU.
