Shazam 2 Director Jokes Sequel Is A DC, Marvel & Star Wars Crossover

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Shazam 2 Director Jokes Sequel Is A DC, Marvel & Star Wars Crossover

Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg joked about the movie being a massive crossover between DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and a few others.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg joked about the movie being a crossover between DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and others. The original Shazam! followed the youngest DCEU hero, Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who, by uttering the titular magic words, can transform into his superpowered adult self (Zachary Levi). Through the film, mistrustful ne'er-do-well Billy grows closer to his foster siblings, who gain similar powers to his own. Together the superfamily takes down Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) and his band of monsters, the Seven Deadly Sins. A critical and commercial success, it was no surprise when a sequel was announced.

Little is known about the sequel as it stands. What we have learned is that the sequel is casting three new villains, a trio of sisters. Zendaya was named a model for the youngest sister, with Halle Berry/Eva Green the middle and Hellen Mirren the eldest. The family dynamic of sister villains would serve as a foil to Billy's family of superheroes. An answer to fans' questions about the sequel seems very far away, however, as the pandemic has seriously disrupted the film's path to the box office. Initially set to release in April 2020, it was first pushed to November 4, 2022, and most recently to June 2, 2023, as part of a significant DCEU shakeup.

Director David F. Sandberg shared an image on his Instagram (@ponysmasher) that jokingly teases a massive crossover in the film. Sharing the fake movie poster by Corey Z. MacLean (@cloniicory on Twitter), Sandberg said it would help justify a "one billion dollar budget." The poster features Shazam front and center surrounded by, well, everyone. Marvel's Thor and Captain America, DC's Batman and Superman, Luke Skywalker and the Death Star from Star Wars, and even King Kong, Mechagodzilla, and John Wick are thrown in for good measure. Check the crazy post out below:

Low-budget horror veteran Sandberg is a known joker, and this is right up his alley. Most recently, he trolled fans by posting a four-hour video of him flipping the bird to YouTube. He's certainly the kind of director to have a good laugh at fan art proposing ridiculous scenarios. Joking with fans about the film is about all he can do at the moment in regards to his big-budget work as Hollywood grinds to a halt, but Sandberg is not the type to sit on his laurels, returning to his indie roots during the pandemic. After flipping us off for a few hours, he released a video explaining how he managed the trick for young filmmakers to mimic if they so choose.

In the meantime, as with many major productions, Shazam! Fury of the Gods will have to stay on the back burner until it's feasible to get back to work. With a cast of child actors, the film faces a unique challenge wherein the longer it takes to produce, the more difficult it will be to sell that the kids are the age they're supposed to be in the movie. Sandberg allayed concerns, maintaining that the film will begin physical production in early 2021. If the movie is shot now, it doesn't matter when it releases – the kids will be alright. But as the second phase of the pandemic begins to take hold this winter, Sandberg's hopes may not be realized.