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The much-awaitedShazam!: Fury of the Godsdirected by David Sandberg has released worldwide on March 17th. The film along with its first installment involves the storyline of DC superhero Shazam, are stand-alone movies that are not part of the DCU. WhileShazamenjoyed good box office success, especially amongst young adults owing to its lighthearted humor and action,Shazam 2seems to have had an underwhelming opening over the weekend. A lot of theories floating around indicate that the reasons for this may not have to do with audience reactions alone.
Shazam 2has been delayed multiple times.
It is common knowledge that the release ofShazam 2has been indefinitely postponed and delayed several times over the past year. Originally set for release on July 13, 2025, the film got pushed to June 18, 2025, and then to June 11, 2025. With still no confirmed date, It was moved up to August 13, 2025, as it was ready for release sooner than other DC films delayed by the pandemic. Despite its completion, the film was yet again moved to be screened, this time in March 2023. With these schedule changes, there has been a lot of buzz about certain forces that have intentionally delayed the film.
Also Read:‘He’s busy filling those empty Shazam 2 seats’: James Gunn Having No Response to Zack Snyder’s SnyderVerse Announcement Convinces Fans the Two are No Longer ‘Best Buds’
IsShazam 2’s postponement intentional?
With so many changes in the release date ofShazam 2,DC fans began to speculate on ulterior motives that could have been the factors for the delay. To begin with, directorJames Gunntook over as DC Head in November 2022 and initiated a complete reboot of the franchise. This included the shocking exit of Henry Cavill as Superman and the announcement of a new lineup of DC movies likeSuperman: LegacyandBatman: The Brave and the Bold.
As a result, films likeShazam 2were rumored to have been intentionally postponed by Warner Brothers and DC. This allegedly involved cutting the marketing costs of the film and moving it from the holiday season in December to March, where the film had to share space with big releases likeCreed 3, andJohn Wick Chapter 4.Director David Sandberg has also alluded to this as the reason forShazam 2receiving lukewarm responses over the opening weekend. He said,
“It’s not like this comes as a surprise. I saw where this was heading a long time ago. I’ll be alright though. I got paid all my money upfront.”
Despite the director not sounding too perturbed, fans expressed their sympathy to him for being collateral damage in this battle for DC supremacy.
Also Read:Shazam 2 Star Lucy Liu Regrets Not Debuting in $32.4B Superhero Industry Sooner: “My career would’ve been easier”
Is there a place for Shazam in the DCU?
After James Gunn’s complete overhaul of the DC franchise and the ousting of some important superheroes, there is speculation about the future of characters like Shazam and his role in extending the DCU. David Sandberg took to social media to talk about the possibilities of Shazam’s inclusion saying,
“What I’ve been told is that there’s nothing in the Shazam films that contradict the future plans for DC. So the possibility for more Shazam is there and if that’s what you want your best bet is to go see the film.”
But this comment may stand true ifShazam 2works at the box office. With James Gunn and the DC, team chalked out a clear goal for the future, it remains to be seen if Shazam is part of that goal.
Also Read: “That was dropped pretty quickly”: Shazam 2 Director Reveals He Wanted Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck Cameos That Was Refused by WB While Movie Struggles at 55% RT Rating
Source:Twitter
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
