Despite Shazam and Black Adam having a long history with one another in the comics, Dwayne Johnson’s latest DCU movie with the Anti-Hero’s debut held no mention of Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson.
On the one hand, it’s surprising that there was no mention of him, given how intrinsically connected the two characters are. On the other, however, it’s not too shocking—Dwayne Johnson himself made moves to separate Black Adam from the first Shazam movie.
It’s been reported that the actor isn’t the biggest fan of Billy Batson and even feels that the tone of Levi’s hero, and his subsequent movies, wouldn’t match what Johnson’s trying to achieve in his solo outings.
While many thought Black Adam came and went without a hint towards Shazam himself, a new Easter egg has been revealed that was right under everyone’s nose the whole time.
A New Shazam Easter Egg
A brand new Shazam Easter egg in Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam has been revealed thanks to the movie's debut on PVOD platforms.
The scene in question sees Amon in his room, where other heroes can be seen across the room; Superman, Batman, Aquaman, and more. But, looking closer, it seems that Shazam actually has a sliver of representation in the recent DCU film.
Zooming in, it also seems to be Zachary Levi's version of the character. This seemingly makes it a sure-fire thing that Amon knows about Shazam's existence.
It looks like Black Adam actress Sarah Shahi was right when she exclusively told The Direct that she believes her on-screen son knew about Zachary Levi's hero.
What is Shazam's Future with Black Adam?
While it’s nice to have a confirmed Easter egg for Zachary Levi’s Shazam in Black Adam, in this case, it’s really more of a plot hole or inconsistency.
Normally, characters not mentioning every superhero they know isn’t an issue. However, here, it is; Amon is a superhero fanboy. How could he not mention Billy Batson, or even the whole Shazam family, once?
After all, Teth-Adam has very clear similarities to Shazam: a big yellow lightning bolt on their chest, having to literally say “Shazam” to gain or lose power, and getting powers from a Wizard, just to name a few. It’s hard to believe Amon would never connect the obvious dots.
Given how the director of Shazam! Fury of the Gods has spoken about Black Adam, fans shouldn’t expect any connections between the two for the highly anticipated sequel.
Either way, Johnson seems to be far more interested in pitting Black Adam against Henry Cavill’s Superman. Maybe one day, someone can convince the actor to give Shazam his due.
Johnson himself seems to have confirmed that a Shazam crossover will be happening down the line, but it's hard to tell what might actually come to pass.
Black Adam is now available for purchase digitally, while the physical 4K Blu-ray release will land on January 3, 2023. Fury of the Gods debuts in theaters on March 17 next year.
