Shazam! was a critical and commercial hit when it was released back in 2019. While it didn't exactly break box office records, it was an undeniable success and remains one of the DCEU's best-reviewed movies.
In comparison, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was a dismal failure. Making a mere $133 million worldwide and receiving a clearly mixed response from critics (it has 49% Rotten Tomatoes), it's still hard to pinpoint where exactly things went so badly wrong for the sequel.
The gap between the first and second instalments was perhaps a little too big, leading to reduced interest in another story revolving around the hero. The decision to introduce newly created villains instead of picking up on the previous movie's post-credits scene tease was also questionable.
Black Adam, meanwhile, did little to help matters.
During a recent interview with The FilmUp Podcast, Shazam himself, Zachary Levi, was asked whether he'll be part of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DCU. The latter produced the Shazam! franchise and is close friends with Levi, but after previously saying his future under DC Studios hinged on the sequel's success, the actor doesn't seem convinced.
"I don’t know what the future holds for it all because, unfortunately, the second movie was not as well received," he admitted. "I have no idea where we go from here."
Levi would go on to say that he believes the movie is one which will one day be revisited by fans and perhaps viewed in a different light.
"I just hope that or believe that history will show…it will be one of those things that people will go back, people will watch ‘Fury of the Gods’ on home streaming or on a plane or whatever, and it will be this movie that they heard so much shit about and then they will be like, ‘Well, wait a minute.'"
It's always possible but Shazam! Fury of the Gods does look like it might be the end of Levi's time as the Big Red Cheese. Between some divisive social media activity and relatively widespread criticism of his performance in the movie, that's not something a lot of fans will be upset about either.
Do you think we'll see Levi's Shazam in the DCU?