Following a change in leadership at Warner Bros., a key actor from Shazam! has teased the hero’s part in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s ten-year plan for the DCU, which is said to mirror Marvel Studios’ approach.
Shazam!, which was realized in 2019, landed with strong positive reactions amongst both fans and critics. However, since then, there hasn’t been any official word on when the hero might crossover with the wider DC universe.
One previous rumor claimed Shazam was going to be a key member of the new Justice League by the end of Ezra Miller’s The Flash, which would feature a new changed DC Universe timeline with adjustments across the board. However, none of it was confirmed, and in fact, it was even commented on by the director of Shazam! himself.
The recent release of Black Adam didn’t make things look good for Shazam’s future either, seeing as Dwayne Johnson, the man behind Teth-Adam himself, has been reported to dislike Billy Batson and even went as far as to remove his antihero from Shazam’s origin movie.
Despite all that, if some new comments from the actor behind Billy himself are anything to go by, it might be wise to retain hope that Shazam is far from over.
Asher Angel Teases His Future as Billy Batson
In an interview with Josh Wilding, Shazam! actor Asher Angel spoke about his future in the DC Universe after all of the big changes in leadership at Warner Bros., including the new CEO David Zaslav and DCU leads James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Angel noted how he’s excited for Safran (who produces the Shazam! films) and Gunn, and that he’s “ready for Shazam to be integrated with some other superhero movies:”
“Man, I feel really good with Peter [Safran] and James coming on board. I mean, they’re obviously super talented, and super passionate and, I love how they’re creating this 10-year plan. And I think the DC Universe is going to be… there’s a lot of special movies to come and I’m just ready for Shazam to be integrated with some other superhero movies…”
As for the upcoming sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Angel shared that he is “excited for the movie” and its “incredible cast:”
“I’m excited. I am very grateful and… you know, incredible cast, and excited for the movie.”
When the interviewer mentioned how Black Adam makes a crossover between Dwayne Johnson’s character and his own, the actor responded diplomatically, simply saying, “yeah, for sure.”
His co-star in Hulu’s Darby and the Dead, Chosen Jacobs, joked about how great it is to have a fellow friend part of the DCU, and how maybe it’ll help him get his foot in the door:
“… It’s great having a cast mate and a friend who’s in DC and… with the 10-year plan, that means there’s a lot of movies for actors’ friends to be in movies too… Yeah, I know Shazam… I’d love to go in some tights and fight somebody.”
Angel backed up Jacobs, agreeing that “he’d be so good in it.”
What Does the New DCU Hold for Shazam?
It sure sounds like Shazam fans can rest easy. The actor behind Billy seems to be pretty confident that he is not going anywhere in the DCU.
But what might his future hold when it comes to crossing over with all of the other big names in the universe? Well, he could easily end up being part of the new Justice League whenever that takes form. Then there’s the possibility of a big event film against Black Adam, which would be awesome.
After all, Billy Batson has far more right to a big crossover film against Dwayne Johnson's DC hero than Superman does. Billy is the archnemesis of Teth-Adam in the comics, not Clark Kent, or his alter ego.
While Dwayne Johnson’s opinions on the character might be worrying to some, the star previously promised that a crossover between Shazam and his antihero will, in fact, happen. Hopefully, it won’t end up an empty promise, and both James Gunn and Peter Safran are on the same page as the actor.
Thankfully, no matter what the future of the DC universe holds, Zachary Levi will, at the very least, get a proper sequel.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently set to hit theaters on March 17, 2023. The movie will see the return of the entire Shazam family and feature completely original villains—for better or worse
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