"I just threw a truck at a dragon. I love my life."
Who could have guessed that line in the Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer would be so divisive? The first teaser for the sequel definitely impressed, though Zachary Levi's adult Billy Batson having fun being a superhero ended up becoming a real point of contention among fans.
Honestly, we didn't think it was that bad, but director David F. Sandberg has now confirmed this particular piece of dialogue won't be in the final cut of the Shazam! sequel.
It doesn't sound like it was removed in response to the backlash, as the filmmaker would go on to point out how some moments are shot specifically for trailers. Shazam expressing his excitement to be fighting a dragon was clearly one of them, though we'd argue it fit into the tone established by 2019's first instalment.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods was supposed to be released later this month, but Warner Bros. made the wise decision to back down from Avatar: The Way of Water and pushed the movie into next year.
Check out Sandberg's comments in full below.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word "SHAZAM!," is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam.
The sequel's cast includes Zachary Levi as Shazam, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield/Super Hero Mary.
Djimon Hounsou returns as the Wizard, while Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren have all joined the movie as newly created villains.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is set to be released on March 17, 2023.