Speaking at the premiere for Shazam!, producer Peter Safran was asked if the film would influence how DC superhero films are made going forward as it's so different from what's come before.
Safran stated that the film is more of an indicator of a change at WB, where the philosophy is now focusing more on creating unique tones for each character, rather than making all of its characters fit within the tone of a shared cinematic universe.
"I think that DC has the same idea that we do now, that every movie they make should have the right tone for that particular character. And Shazam! is such a fun character, he's such a wish-fulfillment, he's fun and funny and that's the tone you should have for the film. Aquaman has got its own fantastical element, Shazam's fun and funny, and Wonder Woman's got her thing. I think they just realized that each tone has got to be specific for each movie."
IGN followed up by asking is Safran thinks there's still room for dark superhero movies, a clear allusion to the Zack Snyder era, often described as colorless and drab. Safran didn't totally dismiss the notion, reinforcing his previous statement that those kinds of movies are right for specific characters, not the entire DC roster of heroes.
"Absolutely, there are certain characters, like Batman, like the Joker- that dark tone is perfect for them. It's what you really want to see [for those characters], so absolutely."
Safran wouldn't confirm Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam for a potential Shazam! sequel but he did state that he hopes Shazam! "a 14-year-old in a superhero's body" would get to interact with the Justice League's other "angsty, older superheroes and see what happens. It would be a lot of fun."