It looks like it’s up to the fans to determine if Shazam will have a spot in the DCU. Ahead of the release of the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, it was announced that Peter Safran and James Gunn had been hired to take control of DC Studios. It’s up to them to decide which movies and TV shows will be made as a part of their cinematic universe moving forward, and this has already ended the runs of some established DC superheroes – just ask Henry Cavill. But as for Shazam, the future of the Zachary Levi-played superhero in the DCU remains unclear with no clear announcements one way or the other.

On Twitter, one fan admitted in a tweet addressed to Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg that he was feeling apprehensive about seeing the new film. He says that the character’s uncertain future in the DCU is “just killing the vibe” of the movie right from the start. Sandberg responded directly to the tweet, and while he can’t make any guarantees that the character will continue on in the DCU, he suggests that this will mostly depend upon Fury of the Gods performing well in theaters.
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“He definitely won’t [be in the DCU’s future] if people don’t go see the movie,” Sandberg 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.”

As Sandberg notes, it also helps Shazam’s odd of surviving the DCU cuts that the previous movies aren’t explicitly a part of the Snyderverse, and it wouldn’t disrupt continuity to keep him around. If that’s the case, then it’s worked out for the best after all that Superman’s cameo in the first Shazam! movie did not show the Man of Steel’s face. By not revealing Henry Cavill, the door is left open for that to have been any other actor as Superman.

Related: Shazam! Fury of the Gods Is Set to Have a Very Exciting Cameo

Shazam! Fury of the Gods May Determine if the Superhero Stays
Warner Bros.

The pressure is clearly on for Shazam! Fury of the Gods to perform well with its future depending on it. Released in 2019, the originla movie grossed more than $366 million at the box office, making it a hit even if the superhero movie didn’t reach Aquaman or The Batman level numbers. With years of anticipation and more awareness about the Shazam character, there’s a lot that could play into the potential success of Fury of the Gods, but as the fan above noted to Sandberg personally, there could be just as much fan apprehension about going to see the film. With all of this in mind, it’s really hard to predict just how well this movie is going to turn out.

Sandberg directs Shazam! Fury of the Gods using a script by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan. The film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu, Djimon Hounsou, and Helen Mirren. It will be released in theaters on March 17, 2023.