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James Gunn is all set to possibly completely reboot the DC universe and the initial box office numbers ofShazam 2will only bolster his confidence in his decision. The Zachary Levi starrerShazam! Fury of the Godshas been finally released in theaters, but it is off to a dismal start that’s poorer than its predecessor. Numbers say it’s the worst of any DCEU film ever made. Fans hoping for another film to complete the trilogy will need to dial down their expectations after this.
Shazam 2Falls Face First At The Box Office
As per Deadline,Shazam 2has grossed $3.4 million on Thursday and will probably open to an $11 million total on Friday, and $30 million over the weekend across 4,071 theaters. Directed by David F. Sandberg, the film has raked in the absolute lowest Thursday gross numbers in the history of the DCEU. As such, it’s even lower than the firstShazammovie which grossed $9.2 million in Thursday domestic previews, and also the last released DC movie,Black Adam,that raked in $7.6 million. Here’s what the DCEU films have grossed on Thursday previews at the domestic box office by their order of release:
Read More:“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
In comparison, the sequel holds a 54% critic rating and an 84% audience score. Even if the audience score is higher, it’s clear that not many are interested in actually spending money to see the film. As such, with dismal box office numbers, the chances of a sequel becomes lower every day.
Read More:‘And it will probably be 100x better’: Shazam 2 Reportedly Cost WB a Whopping $100M Less Than The Rock’s Black Adam
Future Of Shazam In The DCU
The Hollywood Reporter published thatJames Gunn, during the DCU slate presentation, said that the four leads of the DC films releasing in 2023 could reprise their roles in future DCU projects. The outlet reported:
“The four leads of those films could potentially return to their roles in DCU projects down the line. ‘There is nothing that prohibits that from happening,’ said Gunn.”
Read More:‘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’
However, fans weren’t sure that the red cheesy superhero will actually have a future in the DCU. So director David F. Sandberg took to Twitter to clarify that the only way to get more of Shazam will be to watch the movie. He said:
“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.”
Here’s the tweet:
https://twitter.com/ponysmasher/status/1630409449860141058?s=20
So while Zachary Levi’s hero could appear in Gunn’s DCU later on, the poor box office numbers seem to indicate that there won’t be another film to complete theShazamtrilogy. However,Shazam 2could see a rise in box office numbers if word-of-mouth for the film turns out to be good. It remains to be seen how the movie performs.
Shazam! Fury of the Godsis now in theaters.
Source:DeadlineandTwitter
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :752
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
