‘Shazam 3’ Could Happen After ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ Sets Up Its Potential Story and Characters

HERE is everything known about Shazam 3’s status, release date, story, cast, and more updates.

The Shazam franchise continued in 2023 with the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods in March. Directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, the second entry in the franchise stars Zachary Levi as Shazam and Asher Angel as Billy Batson.

Shazam 2 was made after the original film became a modest hit for Warner Bros. and DC Films, although the sequel was met with more mixed reviews and a more tepid box office launch.

The timing of the sequel’s release has put the future of the franchise, including Shazam 3, in an unclear territory. Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ ending leaves room for another movie to happen and continue the adventures of Zachary Levi’s DC hero. However, it is now up to DC Studios co-CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn to determine if Shazam 3 will happen. Here is what is known about the movie’s chances and what a Shazam! Fury of the Gods sequel could contain.

Warner Bros. and DC Studios have yet to announce any plans to make Shazam 3 at this stage. Instead of preemptively announcing a sequel, the studios are waiting to see how Shazam! Fury of the Gods performs before determining what to do next. This includes figuring out if the characters and franchise will remain part of the DC Universe canon after The Flash resets the timeline.

They have been open about the fact that Shazam! Fury of the Gods does not get in the way of what they are planning. This could allow the franchise’s characters to return in Shazam 3 as part of the new DC Universe.

Without any firm updates on Shazam 3, the performance of Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be a good litmus test for its odds of happening. Shazam 2 received more mixed reviews from critics, leaving it in the Rotten category on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences have found more enjoyment in the movie, even if box office projections are not all that favorable.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ worse box office performance compared to the first film is not a great sign that DC Studios should make Shazam 3.

If DC Studios does decide to do a sequel, Shazam 3’s release date is likely several years away. The current DC Universe slate only includes Superman: Legacy with a confirmed 2025 release date. Plans for The Authority, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, The Brave and the Bold, and Swamp Thing are already in motion, which would indicate that Shazam 3’s development could fall behind these titles.

DC Studios only wants to release two live-action movies per year. This could mean that Shazam 3 will not release until 2028 unless it is fast-tracked or DC increases its output goals.

The Shazam 3 cast should include many of the franchise veterans returning. Making a sequel to Shazam! Fury of the Gods would mean bringing back Zachary Levi as Shazam, and that would also mean more of Asher Angel as Billy Batson.

There is also a way for Shazam 2’s tease from Wonder Woman about gods and humans learning to live together in harmony to help Shazam 3 fit into DC Universe’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. Shazam! Fury of the Gods focuses on the history and current state of DC’s gods. Wonder Woman’s hope could mean that she and Shazam team up in Shazam 3 to fight other gods, like Hades, who attempt to rise to power.

Regardless of if Shazam 3 happens or not, Zachary Levi’s Shazam could show up elsewhere in the DC Universe. A surprising potential landing spot for him after Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the upcoming movie, The Authority.
The post-credits scene references the team through Shazam’s joke that the Justice Society should be known as the Authority Society. It is possible that Shazam will be one of the heroes that the anti-heroes encounter if this scene is meant to set up James Gunn’s The Authority.

There is also the possibility that Shazam could appear in Peacemaker season 2 or Amanda Waller’s HBO show next. Now that he has met Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee), the reunion on the HBO shows would make sense. Other options for Shazam’s DC Universe future could include appearances in Superman: Legacy to bring him and the new Superman together, or possibly a comedic team-up with Booster Gold in the Booster Gold show.

(source: screenrant.com)

(ROHN ROMULO)