Shazam! Reportedly Features A Superman Cameo (Sort Of)

WARNING: This article contains possible SPOILERS for Shazam!

There's a major DCEU cameo in Warner Bros' Shazam!, but it's more awkward than the standard superhero movie guest spot. Shazam!, which stars Zachary Levi as the titular character, is the latest entry in Warner Bros' DC Comics movie universe. Shazam! is different from the previous DCEU movies, though, for several reasons. The most obvious factor is the main character's powers because the protagonist Billy Batson is a young kid but when he says the magic word "Shazam!" he turns into an adult super-powered hero (with a padded supersuit).

Another major difference of Shazam! from the rest of the DCEU is that the movie will be Billy's first appearance in the cinematic universe. With the obvious exception of Man of Steel everyone who has received a solo movie in the DCEU has appeared in at least one other movie. Shazam! will fully introduce Billy and his unique powers while still trying to tie it into the rest of the DC movie universe with references and clues. Reportedly the major cameo is Shazam! is more than a bit unique and even hints at the universe's future.

News of the DCEU cameo in Shazam! surfaced on Twitter due to early test screenings for the film ahead of its April release. According to Geeks WorldWide editor-in-chief KC Walsh, Shazam! features an appearance by Superman, but don't expect to see actor Henry Cavill when the Big Blue Boy Scout appears. Walsh describes the cameo as both concerning and exciting because while Superman is obviously visible in the movie, only his chest with his iconic symbol are shown. Superman's face is never seen, meaning the movie may have used a body double.

On its own, this might not be much of a reveal. Considering everything that is going on with Superman in the DCEU lately, this news is intriguing. The exciting bit of information is that the cameo confirms the DCEU isn't done with Superman. There is still no Superman movie in development and there were reports that the universe was shifting their focus to his cousin Supergirl. With the Shazam! cameo, it's clear that Superman is still very much of a part of the DCEU. Even a faceless cameo in Shazam! will remind audiences of the character and tie Billy to Clark Kent. This makes quite a lot of sense as Superman not only launched the DCEU, but the character of Shazam has often been compared to Superman.

The fact that Superman's face is not visible, though, seems to confirm that Warner Bros. and DC Comics still don't have an official Superman. Henry Cavill was reportedly out of the role in late 2018. Since that report, though, Warner Bros. released an official statement that explained no decisions have been made about Superman's actor. Cavill meanwhile has continued to drop cryptic clues about his continuing interest in the character on social media. Neither of which is confirmation (or denial) that Cavill is still the Man of Steel. However if the Shazam! cameo news is true, it seems to confirm that Warner Bros. at the very least couldn't get Cavill to appear in the movie.

However, just because Cavill isn't in Shazam! doesn't mean he's no longer Superman. Cavill is a reasonably busy actor and there could be any number of reasons he didn't film what sounds like a very minor cameo for Shazam! He can always return to the DCEU. Yet the faceless cameo does the lay groundwork for Superman to continue in the DCEU without being played by Cavill. Batman is currently being recast with Ben Affleck passing the torch to a new actor. Superman could be soon to follow.