Credit: @JamesGunn/ TwitterIt seems James Gunn may have a more hands-off approach…
It’s no secret that Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have shaken things up significantly. Many old titles are out, and many new titles are in. DC Studios is poised for a huge revamp and charge forward in the world of superhero movies; and leading the charge? Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). There’s been a lot of talk about the sequel, and now one rumor has just been cleared up.
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Since taking over at DC Studios, James Gunn has made some decisions that have made him very unpopular. Inside the Magic has reported on several of these, from the dismissal of Henry Cavill to the discontinuation of Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam (2022) and more. Each of these decisions has only added fuel to the flames of DC fans who dislike the former Marvel director. Every now and again, users can even still spot the hashtag #firejamesgunn trending on Twitter.
His decisions haven’t all been unpopular. Many fans are very excited to see some of the films and projects he announced at the end of January. Among those projects that fans are actually ready to see are Gunn’s take on Superman, titled Superman: Legacy (2025), a new Batman film with at least one member of the Bat Family involved, titled Batman: The Brave and the Bold (?), and other projects including more obscure characters.
Aside from recasting and rebooting, one other source of concern that fans have had with Gunn and Safran’s leadership has been meddling in existing projects. Rumors have been flying about scenes from existing movies being cut or added to align with Gunn’s new vision, and the next DC Studios film Fury of the Gods, has been no exception. Rumors, particularly about the inclusion of Peacemaker jokes and lines, have been rampant, but those rumors have now been put to rest.
CBR reported on a response from Shazam director David F. Sandberg in which the director added some much-needed clarification. In the comment, Sandberg clarified that the finished product was delivered to the studio in October before Gunn took his new position. He also added that Fury of the Gods is a “freestanding story” and that it will not affect or interfere with future DC plans.
While it is good news that the sequel to Shazam! (2019) has remained unaltered, it does bring up an interesting issue: if it doesn’t affect or interfere with future DC plans, that could mean one of two things. Either DC has planned to include characters from Shazam! in future projects, and they are, therefore, still canon, or this will be the last time audiences see the Shazamily!
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Shazam! Fury of the Gods hits theaters on March 17, 2023. The film stars Zachary Levi/Asher Angel as Billy Batson/Shazam, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Jack Dylan Grazer/Adam Brody as Freddy Freeman, Rachel Zegler as Anthea, Helen Mirren as Hespera, and Lucy Liu as Kalypso. Fury of the Gods follows the Shazam family (Shazamily?) as they face a new threat in the daughters of Atlas, whose new weapon threatens to destroy the world.
What do you think about Sandberg’s comments? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!