The cast of Warner Bros.'
Shazam! recently sat down with SYFY Wire to discuss the film and the wider world of the DC Film Universe and comic books. In its early stages, the DC Films Universe sought to establish as large, interconnected universe similar to Marvel Studios, but after a number of struggles, the studio decided that they would return to their previous formula of making standalone superhero projects while still maintaining a small degree of fluidity across certain films.
In the interview below, director David F. Sandberg and producer Peter Safran respond to a question of whether the change in strategy at WB altered the development of
Shazam!, which started shooting in the Summer of 2017, just before the release of
Justice League in November.
"
No, because we always wanted to just focus on telling [Shazam's] story. There was never any mandate to set things up for the future or incorporate certain things, it was just [to] make the best Shazam! movie. And then, since it's set in the world of DC, we could peek out and put in all these references and easter eggs and make it feel that it really is in that universe while still being its own story."
After being lucky enough to see
Shazam! thanks to Fandango's early screening on March 23, I can confirm that WB has a winner on their hands and that
Shazam! should prove to be another success for the studio, following the surprise of
Aquaman's strong box office run.