Despite rumours pointing to a cameo from Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam in
Shazam!, that obviously never happened. Well, Jaume Collet-Serra recently signed up to take the helm of a
Black Adam movie and we know that a meeting between the two characters is bound to happened somewhere down the line.
In
Shazam!, The Wizard references a previous champion who is clearly meant to be Adam, and now a deleted scene has been revealed in which his existence is one again hinted at.
As the Shazam Family sit on their thrones in the Rock of Eternity, Mary points out that there's a seventh, unoccupied throne and wonders who it could belong to.
"Well, whoever it is, I'm going to love them no matter what because they're an automatic part of the family," Darla Dudley responds, clearly unaware of the threat that Black Adam could pose to them.
Time will tell how Warner Bros. and New Line go about combining these franchises, but seeing the Shazam Family come face to face with Johnson's Black Adam would be downright epic.
Check out the deleted scene below:
Hit the "View List" button below to find out
how Shazam! sets up the future of the DCEU!
Black Adam
When Billy Batson meets the Wizard for the first time, he learns of a previous champion who used his powers for revenge, unleashed the Seven Deadly Sins, and wiped out entire civilisations. He is, of course, referring to Black Adam.
That's the only reference we get to the villain turned anti-hero here and it as now going to be interesting seeing whether that long-rumoured movie starring Dwayne Johnson will tell an extended version of that origin story over two hours or skip through it and bring Adam into the present day for an eventual clash with Shazam.
Either way, a meeting between these two has to be on the horizon now and providing this movie is as commercially successful as it has been critically, then there's no way Warner Bros. will hold off on this highly anticipated and much-wanted crossover.
The Marvel Family
In
Shazam!'s final act, we're finally introduced to the Marvel Family as Billy's fellow foster kids say the magic word and transform into superheroes as well.
Its a cool moment but the adult versions of Mary, Freddy, Darla, Eugene, and Pedro only get a relatively limited amount of screentime and so the sequel is bound to elaborate on that by delving into what it's like for these youngsters to be superheroes and how they operate as a group. As introductions go, though, this movie handled that well.
However, we definitely need to see more of them in action and given how powerful they are as a group, you can see why the stage has been set for them to battle an entire team of bad guys the next time we see them....
Mr. Mind And The Monster Society Of Evil
We first catch a glimpse of Mr. Mind during the opening sequence at the Rock of Eternity where he's being kept in a jar. Once the Seven Deadly Sins escape, we later see that that's been smashed open and he returns in the mid-credits scene to recruit Dr. Sivana.
Based on what the miniscule villain says, he's planning on forming the Monster Society of Evil and given the history between him and Sivana in the comics, we can expect them to make one neck of a team as they take aim at the Shazam Family.
A two inch talking worm may seem like a comical choice of big bad but his comic book counterpart has conquered world and could make for a formidable new foe to Shazam. Whether this franchise needs more CGI monsters after the mostly underwhelming Sins is obviously up for debate, though.
The DC Multiverse
At one point in the movie, the kids find themselves being pursued through the Rock of Eternity by Dr. Sivana. It's then that they come across a room of door, all of which appear to lead to difference universes.
This is obviously a reference to the wider DC Multiverse and reminiscent of something we saw in DC Rebirth.
While I don't think the follow-up will necessarily delve straight into this complicated aspect of the DCEU, it's interesting to now ponder the possibilities and easy to imagine the types of stories that could be told with access to this. The Rock itself, meanwhile, definitely leaves the door open to more characters and magical artefacts being introduced.
Only Magic Hurts Magic
During Shazam's first clash with Sivana, the villain mentions that human weapons cannot harm the hero and that only magic can hurt one powered by it. While I'm sure a punch from someone like Superman would leave Billy Batson reeling, it seems the intention with this franchise is to delve into the world of magic in a big way.
That's an interesting and extremely exciting decision and hopefully one that will lead to a lot of fan-favourite comic book characters finally getting their due. In fact, it's easy enough to imagine the possible success of
Shazam! leading to
Justice League Dark finally becoming a reality after years of delays.
Mary Marvel's Future
During the course of this adventure, we find a conflicted Mary dealing with the fact she's been offered a spot in a college based in California. She's about to turn 18 when we meet her too so what, if anything, does this mean for her future as a member of the Shazam Family?
As it is, it's a little strange to see an actress who is 40 playing her adult counterpart and it would be even stranger for that continue as she enters her 20s.
So, does this mean Grace Fulton will take over the role? Here's hoping but her college woes will need to be addressed first. It's feasible that the action could move to California if the family chooses to follow her there and it's definitely going to be interesting seeing how this particular ploy point is handled.
Shazam Knows Superman
While the Man of Steel's cameo is very much used for comedic effect, there's obviously one key takeaway here: Shazam has met Superman and they get on well enough that he was able to convince him to come and have lunch at Freddy Freeman's school.
While it seems as if Warner Bros. doesn't have any immediate plans for Superman (especially as Henry Cavill has walked away from the role), Billy Batson having met a member of the
Justice League is bound to be mentioned in the sequel. Ultimately, this may or may not lead to more cameos; it depends on just how standalone the studio wants this franchise to be.
Speaking of which, that post-credits scene may very well leave the door open for another big meeting...
Shazam Vs. Aquaman
Aquaman was the DCEU's first $1 billion hit and the signs are all pointing to
Shazam! finding a great deal of success as well. With that in mind, it doesn't feel like a stretch to think that Warner Bros. could have Billy Batson and Arthur Curry meet, especially after that fun post-credits scene.
In that, Shazam makes fun of Arthur Curry's ability to talk to fish before being put in his place by Freddy.
While this initially feels like a meaningless stinger, there are a number of ways a team-up between these two could be handled and one of the Monster Society of Evil's members could easily have some sort of connection to Atlantis (the Monster Brigade, for example). Honestly, Jason Momoa and Zachary Levi would steal the show together!
Unite The Seven?
As has always been the case in the comics, there are only six members of the Shazam family and that leaves a seventh throne to fill in the Rock of Eternity. The question is, is this a plot point future instalments will delve into?
Black Adam could ultimately take that spot of we see him go through a redemption arc, while Geoff Johns' current Shazam comic book series is exploring the idea of that mantle belonging to a character called King Kid.
The fact that there's an empty throne is never directly mentioned here so there's a possibility that this isn't really a priority for the studio right now. However, the opportunity is there to delve into this if the opportunity presents itself and I can definitely see this tying into Black Adam's movie in some way, shape, or form.
A New Direction For The DCEU
Between this and
Aquaman, it's now clear that the DC Extended Universe is going to be very different to what Zack Snyder had planned. At its heart,
Shazam! feels like a Marvel Studios movie and while that's certainly not a bad thing, it obviously means the studio has realised that superhero movies should be fun and not dark and brooding.
Aquaman embraced this direction and made over $1 billion, so assuming
Shazam! is a success (I'm sure it will be even after a lacklustre marketing campaign), this tone is likely indicative of what comes next and that means Ezra Miller's hopes for a dark
Flash movie written by him and Grant Morrison will probably never come to fruition.
Continue reading below for a spoiler-filled recap
of Shazam!'s biggest moments and surprises!
Dr. Sivana's New Origin Story
Like most DC Comics characters, Dr. Sivana has had a number of origin stories over the years but Shazam! delivers something new. The movie kicks off with a flashback to his childhood as we see the youngster transported away from his vile brother and father to the Rock of Eternity where it's quickly revealed that he's not worthy of inheriting the Wizard's powers.
Once he's back in the car, his reaction causes a crash which leaves his father badly injured and when we catch up with him in the present day, we learn Sivana has spent years finding others who were taken to the Rock of Eternity and deemed unworthy. After finally figuring out to return there, he frees the Seven Deadly Sins and badly injures the Wizard in order to get his revenge.
The Sins are contained within an orb he places in his eye and he later unleashes them on his family before learning that he must take Shazam's powers for himself so they can control the world.
Black Adam's "Cameo"
Unfortunately, Dwayne Johnson doesn't make any sort of cameo appearance as Black Adam but we do get a glimpse of the anti-hero when the Wizard is passing his powers on to Billy Batson.
It turns out that the Council of Eternity gave Adam their powers but he used them for revenge, unleashed the Sins, and wiped out both them and entire civilisations in the process. As a result, the Wizard has now spent thousands of years waiting for someone truly worthy to inherit his mantle.
We don't learn what became of Adam and his face is obscured but this story will surely be expanded on in his own movie unless it focuses on his return in the present day (the better option).
The Truth About Billy's Parents
Early on, a flashback to Billy Batson's childhood reveals that was separated from his mother at a funfair and has been searching for her ever since. It's not until his fellow foster kids lend a hand that he learns she's just two subway stops away.
Unfortunately, when he comes face to face with her, it becomes clear that things aren't quite as he remembers them and his then 17 year old mom actually saw that the police had found Billy and decided he would have a better life if she just left him. As for his father, it turns out he's behind bars.
It seems this plot thread won't be going any further than this as he soon embraces his foster family.
Shazam's Celebrity Status
When Shazam first inherits his abilities, he's not quite sure what to do with them and while he manages to stop a few petty crimes, being a "superhero" doesn't appear to be Billy's priority.
Instead, he becomes something of an internet celebrity with Freddy's help and they start raking in the cash. At one point, a display of his powers (which he's collecting cash for) goes horribly wrong and it's then that he has to save the bus we've seen in trailers. It's not until Sivana appears that the youngster realises that with great power, there must also come great responsibility!
Meet The Shazam Family
Thanks to those action figures that were officially revealed a couple of months back, the appearance of the Shazam Family in this movie isn't exactly a surprise. However, it's still a cool moment and one of the most memorable scenes in this entire adventure.
After remembering the Wizard's final words, Shazam grabs his magic staff (which is now in Sivana's possession) and shares his powers with his fellow foster kids during the final battle after the villain kidnaps them with the help of the Sins. They all look pretty cool but don't get a huge amount of screentime and some of them don't get to say more than a couple of lines each.
With any luck, that will change in the sequel because this adult versions of the gang definitely need fleshing out after this movie.
DCEU References
Heading into
Shazam!, it's fair to say that many of us were concerned that the references to characters like Superman and Batman would be a little too heavy handed. Well, that's thankfully not the case and we instead just get to see what it would be like to be a kid in a world where superheroes exist.
I'm not sure we needed to see them in toy stores (how would that even work, legally?) but
Shazam! does a good job of reminding us that it takes place in the same world as
Justice League while remaining as standalone in nature as
Aquaman.
Dr. Sivana And The Seven Deadly Sins Defeated
The final battle drags a little but Sivana is finally defeated when Shazam manages to convince Envy to show himself, something which leaves the villain powerless. Just as he's falling to his death, the hero saves him and lures the Sins back to the funfair and traps them back inside that orb after removing it from his foe's head.
What follows is a pretty hilarious moment in which Shazam pretends that he's being sucked in by them, and that's just one example of many great gags in the DC Comics adaptation.
Superman's Cameo
Freddy spends a huge chunk of the movie trying to talk Billy into coming to school as Shazam to validate him with the other kids. Well, in the closing moments of the film, he finally does that, but he's not alone. it's then that Superman walks in!
While he's wearing the Justice League suit, we never see his face and the actor doesn't appear to be anywhere near as well-built as British heartthrob Henry Cavill. However, it's a cool moment and
Shazam! cuts to the credits before we get to spend too much time picking fault with his appearance!
It's just a shame Warner Bros. couldn't work things out with Cavill.
Mr. Mind
Right at the start of the movie, we see Mr. Mind trapped in a jar at the Rock of Eternity but by the time Billy gets there, that's been smashed open. Well, the pint-sized bad guy finally makes his presence felt in the mid-credits scene when he recruits Sivana to his cause and teases the formation of the Monster Society of Evil.
Like his comic book counterpart, he talks through an electronic voice box but he's not credited at the end of the movie so we don't know who provided his voice as of right now.
The Post-Credits Scene
The second post-credits scene isn't really worth sticking around for, especially when it's actually been featured in TV spots and trailers for the movie. Basically, it just features Shazam pretending to talk to a fish before making fun of the power much to Freddy's disgust when he points out that Aquaman is actually a badass. This feels like a deleted scene tacked on for the sake of it, unfortunately.