DC's 'Shazam 2' Pulled From Theaters, Officially a Box Office Bomb

After many trials and tribulations surrounding its development and subsequent release, it looks like Warner Bros. is officially giving up on the Zachary Levi-led sequel to 2019’s Shazam!

It’s been a less-than-magical path to production for DC’s Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods (2023). The movie sees Levi returning as the adult alter-ego of Billy Batson (Asher Angel), an otherwise normal teenage boy who has to recruit his newly-superpowered foster siblings when a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth, threatening to destroy everything in their way.

There’s been plenty of drama surrounding the movie’s release, from Levi accusing Black Adam (2022) star Dwayne Johnson of “sabotaging” the Shazam franchise, to its virtually nonexistent marketing, to Warner Bros. unveiling their Shazam-less master plan for the DCEU mere weeks before its premiere.

It also failed to perform well at the box office, earning it the unfortunate title of the lowest-grossing movie in the DCEU franchise. Because of this, it looks like Warner Bros. is choosing to send it to home video—and sooner than you’d expect.

Shazam 2 just premiered on March 17, 2023, and now, it’s getting pulled almost immediately from theaters after being deemed a box office “flop.”

The movie will be available on digital beginning April 7, less than a month after its theatrical release, and can be purchased for $24.99 to own or $19.99 for a 48-hour rental period. Warner Bros. also announced that Shazam 2 is coming to 4K UHD and Blu-ray on May 23, which will likely give fans access to exclusive featurettes, director’s commentaries, deleted scenes, and more.

This startlingly early at-home release date shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering just how big of a commercial failure this was for Warner Bros. and DC. The numbers are especially telling, as the movie saw a whopping 69% box office decline in its second weekend—an unprecedented decrease for the studio.

Shazam 2‘s lackluster theatrical run may have just put the nail in the coffin for the future of the Shazam! franchise. With DC looking to turn a new page, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that big changes are about to happen at the studio, and soon—meaning Shazam could be in some serious trouble.

The digital release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be available starting April 7, 2023.

What are your thoughts on Warner Bros. pulling Shazam 2 from theaters? Let us know in the comments below.