Shazam! 2 has just made its presence known on the comic book movie backlog, as officially revealed by New Line and Warner Bros.
Indeed, a sequel to the $364 million worldwide cinematic smash, Shazam!, is now set to land at theaters on April 1, 2022, which, despite its designation, is not a prank. While no plot or cast details have been confirmed, Warner we know that won’t be tinkering with the winning formula of the first film, since director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out) is confirmed to return to the job, working off a script by Henry Gayden, who wrote the final draft of the first film’s screenplay.
Said winning formula is also attributed to star Zachari Levi, whose signature goofy gravitas served as the perfect contrast to his jacked appearance as the power-imbued embodiment of young Billy Batson’s (Asher Angel) superheroic alter-ego, utilizing an intriguing coming-of-age approach (perhaps akin to 1988 comedy Big), while loosely maintaining its connectivity to the DCEU, notably with its Superman-teasing closing scene. Moreover, it didn’t waste any time expanding its comic-inspired story, with Billy sharing his magic-endowed powers with his foster siblings, who became the movie manifestations of Lady Shazam, Shazam Thunder, Shazam Strong and Shazam Lightning. Plus, the mid-credits scene introduced us to the big screen version of the hero’s inch-high antagonist, the psychic-powered caterpillar, Mister Mind.
Released back on April 3, 2019, Shazam! proved to be a diamond in the DC Extended Universe rough (just as Wonder Woman and Aquaman had), and the studio seemed destined to shout the potent word for a sequel, despite the fact that no official confirmation had been made until now. However, a spinoff movie for the hero’s signature nemesis, Black Adam, headlined by megastar Dwayne Johnson, has been on Warner’s DCEU backlog for several years now, and was recently christened with a release date for December 22, 2021 – that’s less than four months before the just-revealed Shazam! 2 release date! – Coincidence? We think not!
With so many comic book tropes already established, it will be interesting to see how Black Adam complements the Shazam! sequel, and what having the film industry’s top-grossing star in the role of an enemy will mean for the shape of the franchise going forward.
We will certainly keep you updated here on Shazam! 2 as the news arrives!
