An alternate ending to the original Shazam! film was posted online by Warner Bros., free of charge.
DC and Warner Bros.’ (WB) latest release, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, continued the story of Billy Batson and his foster siblings.
Despite bombing in a significant fashion at the box office, the film was, in the opinion of many, a fun time at the cinema.
Now, perhaps in a move to drum up hype for the flagging sequel, WB turned the clock back for a new look at the first Shazam!.
Shazam 1 Releases Alternate Ending
The official YouTube channel of Warner Bros. Entertainment (WB) posted an alternate ending for 2019’s Shazam!. The clip was previously available to watch on the movie's home media extras until this month when WB put it on YouTube for free.
The clip opens as the Shazam Family of Billy, Freddy, Eugene, Darla, Pedro, and Mary lead their foster parents, Victor and Rosa, out to the backyard to gaze upon a huge Christmas tree that they had set up.
The video then cuts to “some time later” and sees the kids sitting on the couch watching TV when news breaks out of a hostage crisis downtown.
The family exits the house, shout the magic word, and with a flash of lightning, transform into their superpowered selves, jetting off to save the day.
Watch the full scene here:
Additionally, director David F. Sandberg tweeted an explanation for the alternate ending:
"The alternate ending was a backup we shot in case the cameo at the end didn’t work. The alternate had all the kids transform and fly off to stop a hostage situation."
Sandberg also noted that he felt a bit awkward about his movie having a deleted ending:
“It always feels a bit uncomfortable including deleted scenes. Not only were they cut for a reason, they’re always very rough too since work was stopped on them. It’s a little like giving a lecture in your underwear. I figure it’s worth it though since some find it interesting.”
A Better Ending Than Superman’s Cameo?
As fans will likely recall, the first Shazam! movie ended with a scene of the kids eating lunch in their school’s cafeteria when Billy shows up in his Shazam form, informing Freddy Freeman that he brought another friend along.
Enter Henry Cavill’s Superman, sort of. Due to the actor’s unavailability and perhaps a bit of interference from Warner Bros., the Man of Steel was only shown from the neck down, and thus, the “Headless Superman” meme spawned.
This newly shown alternate ending might not pop as much as the one put into the finished film, but it is fun in its own right and does allow for an extra heartwarming moment to be squeezed in when the family lights up their new Christmas tree.
As for the continuing adventures of Shazam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has severely underperformed at the box office and suffered from poor critical reception. So the franchise probably won’t receive another movie, nor is Warner Bros. likely going to jump at the chance to put these characters anywhere else.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing in theaters everywhere.
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