Shazam 2 director swears off superhero movies after criticism: ‘Done with superheroes’

The odds of a third Shazam movie aren’t looking good. Shazam 2 director David Sandberg says he’s swearing off superhero movies after the film’s criticism.

It seems the critics might have scared off director David Sandberg after they gave him his lowest critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

On March 17, Shazam! Fury of the Gods hit theaters worldwide where it has been met with harsh criticism from the critics, who have given the sequel to 2019’s sleeper hit a 52% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. While audiences have been loving the sequel which is sitting at an 88% audience score, critics have panned the sequel for being “unfocused” and “less satisfying” than its predecessor.

While it’s not uncommon for audiences to disagree with critics, it seems the harsh reviews from critics have deterred the film’s director from a desire to make a third film in the franchise and left him ready to return to his horror roots.

"“As I’ve been saying for a while now I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as trying some new things). After six years of Shazam, I’m definitely done with superheroes for now,” Sandberg tweeted out on March 20 in response to the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score."

Although he made it clear that he doesn’t regret the films and loved working with the cast, Sanberg did not mince words in making it clear he is ready to leave superheroes behind him and not have to think about the discourse from fans or critics online.

"” I don’t regret even for a second making the Shazam movies. I’ve learned so much and gotten to work with some truly amazing people. Will forever be grateful that I got to direct two of these! They’ve been very challenging but valuable experiences,” Sandberg wrote before reiterating his desire to leave the superhero franchise below adding, “One thing I’ve really been looking forward to is disconnecting from the superhero discourse online. A lot of that stresses me out so much and it will be nice not having to think about that anymore.”"

Will there be another Shazam movie?

At this time, DC Studios has not announced plans for a third movie but the odds of another Shazam movie happening aren’t looking good. The film had a less-than-stellar opening weekend, DC is in the midst of a changing of the guard, and now the director David Sandberg has made it clear he’s done with the franchise and more interested in returning to his horror roots after the criticism Shazam 2 received from critics.

Co-chair and co-CEO of DC Studios, James Gunn has stated he’d be interested in the possibility of continuing to work with Zachary Levi so there is a chance he could look to find a way to keep the character around. However, it’s looking more likely that Shazam! Fury of the Gods might end up being the last we’ve seen of the Shazamily for the time being.

An official word on the future of the franchise is expected to come in the upcoming months, likely after the film has finished its box office run and the studio can look at streaming numbers as well.