James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed joint control of DC Studios on November 1, 2022. Shazam! Fury of the Gods hit theaters on March 17, 2023. Do you think there was enough time for Gunn to make any significant changes to the film before its release?
With Fury of the Gods' end credits scene inexplicably having Emilia Harcourt and John Economos show up as A.R.G.U.S. representatives to recruit Billy Batson for the Justice Society of America, some fans thought Gunn was already flexing his muscle.
That's because Emilia Harcourt is played by Gunn's wife, Jennifer Holland. A few online trolls have been asserting that Gunn shoehorned in Harcourt's appearance in Fury of the Gods and Black Adam as one of his first acts as DC Studios co-chair.
Of course, anyone that's even remotely familiar with how the filmmaking processs works knows that Harcourt's appearance in these films was likely something that was in the works, long before Gunn came aboard.
Responding to such claims on social media, Gunn stated, "It wasn't my call and I didn't write it – although it came out when I had just started at DC, its inclusion far predates me as (as does Harcourt as the warden of an underwater prison!). And, although I thought it was fun, I have no idea why those characters would be recruiting for the JS."
Gunn has previously stated repeatedly, that DC Studios film continuity doesn't start until Creature Commandos.
And that although some characters from the DCEU are moving forward into the DCU, it's simply because Gunn likes the actors for the role, not necessarily because he wants to keep the continuity of what happened to those characters in the DCEU.
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS
From New Line Cinema comes “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego,
Shazam. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) as Shazam; Asher Angel (“Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer (“It Chapter Two”) as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody (“Promising Young Woman”) as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good (“Day Shift”) as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey (“Annabelle: Creation”) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman (“This Is Us”) as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen (“A Dog’s Journey”) as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand (“Second Chances”) as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans (“White Lines”) as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews (“The Walking Dead”) as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou (“A Quiet Place Part II”) as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), with Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda” franchise) and Helen Mirren (“F9: The Fast Saga”).
The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (“Shazam!,” “Annabelle: Creation”) and produced by Peter Safran (“Aquaman,” “The Suicide Squad”). It is written by Henry Gayden (“Shazam!,” “There’s Someone Inside Your House”) and Chris Morgan (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “The Fate of the Furious”), based on characters from DC; Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Executive producers are Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns.