There have been so many DCEU release date delays these past few years, it's a struggle to even remember what originally went where. However, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was supposed to be released after The Flash, and director David F. Sandberg has confirmed there's at least a hint of that in the upcoming sequel.
Talking to Gizmodo about a flashback to the events of the first movie, the filmmaker explained why he decided to put the past version of the Shazam Family in the updated costumes they're wearing in this instalment.
That involved reshooting a scene we saw in Shazam! so the difference in their appearance - there's a new actress playing Mary Marvel, for starters - wasn't too jarring. As for how these changes are explained in terms of canon, Sandberg says The Flash changing reality was once the most simple reason behind it.
"Because we were originally supposed to come out after The Flash and, you know, The Flash is going to play around with the multiverse and timelines and things like that," he reveals. "So in my head it was like, 'Well, that could be the explanation,' you know. That they always looked like this in this universe now that it’s changed."
"[But,] now that we can come out before Flash? You know...it’s magic. Since we did change it in the flashback, you go “Yeah, this is what they always looked like, right?"
So, a reality-altering event was once responsible, but it's now a simple retcon. We can live with that.
While we're sure many of you will now plan on watching Shazam! Fury of the Gods with your eyes peeled for any other nods to what the new DCEU might have once looked like, Sandberg confirms elsewhere in this interview that there's nothing in the sequel which contradicts the DCU.
Sandberg is obviously hoping Shazam! 3 will happen under DC Studios' watch and it seems the studio is at least open to the possibility. It might just hinge on those all-important box office numbers...