3 reasons Superman appearing in Shazam! makes so much sense
Superman, HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 13: Actor Henry Cavill attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Justice League’ at Dolby Theatre on November 13, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Earlier this week, it was rumored that Henry Cavil’s Superman would appear in director David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!
Director David F Sandberg’s Shazam! will the next DCEU film to hit theaters four months after James Wan’s Aquaman debuts on December 21, 2018. The lackluster reception of most DCEU films thus far doesn’t need to be revisited.
However, the universe’s most glaring success story was Wonder Woman, while the others proved to be underwhelming to say the least. Justice League, however, was said to be an introduction into a lighter, more optimistic DCEU, and in many ways, it was. Despite its lack of success, one of the bright spots in the film was Superman and it appears that Sanberg understands how important the Last Son of Krypton could help his film. According to multiple reports, Superman is set to join to make an appearance in Shazam! and there’s no better hero to help push Shazam to mainstream audience than the Man of Steel.
3. Shazam lacks mainstream appeal
Shazam isn’t as wildly popular as some DC fans may want to believe despite the success of DC’s New 52 story arch that changed Billy Baton’s origin. Unlike other DC characters, Shazam hasn’t been in part of any TV shows or animated series since the 1970s. While characters like Batman, Harley Quinn, Flash, Green Arrow, and Flash have received a breath of fresh air with DC Comics: Rebirth, Shazam! is still waiting to hear his name called. Still, even without a new comic, DC hasn’t exactly pushed Shazam to the front of the list as one of DC’s notable heroes.
Now, in the DCEU the idea is to have Shazam star in his own feature film. That’s a ton of pressure to put on a character than mainstream fans aren’t very familiar with. I asked my 12-year-old nephew if he knew who Shazam was and he thought I was talking about Shaq, but he knew who the Last Son of Krypton was. With that said, having Superman appear in one way or another would really help Shazam appeal to broader audience. Sandberg appears to understand how to capitalize off of the popularity of comic book’s greatest hero. Maybe if Justice League would have advertised the appearance of Superman then the movie would have performed better at the box office.
No matter what, Superman is a wildly popular character and big-time draw. This isn’t about just making a money grab film, after all David F Sandberg’s short resume consists of film with substance. You can imagine that new head of the DCEU Walter Hamada would employ similar tactics they did with Annabelle Creations and Lights Out to create something that feels fresh and memorable.