In the wake of the commercially disappointing Justice League, the DC Extended Universe is going through a shake-up, with the current rumors pointing to future releases from the studio prioritizing standalone movies over crossovers. If that’s the case, then this implies that there’ll be less pressure on the DC films to stay unified in their style, which may explain how the upcoming Shazam! can get away with looking like it almost takes place in a whole other reality from dark, moody works like Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The bright color palette displayed in the first official image of Zachary Levi donning the red spandex stands in stark contrast to the gloomy color grading of Zack Snyder’s signature style, as well as the shadowy visuals of non-Snyder-helmed DC releases Wonder Woman and Suicide Squad. This departure becomes all the more apparent after seeing a newly altered version of that same image, posted by a fan on Reddit, in which it looks like Billy Batson and his friend Freddy Freeman might want to finish their colas and get inside before it starts to rain.
This is shaping up to be a pretty eventful month for news on Batson’s first outing in the DCEU. As well as learning that Djimon Hounsou of Guardians of the Galaxy fame has been given a major role in this cinematic universe, we now know that the first trailer for Shazam! will be screened at the San Diego Comic-Con next week. What’s more, Entertainment Weekly yesterday got an exclusive on the film’s plot, which you can check out below:
“In the film, Billy (whose younger version is played by Disney Channel star Asher Angel) is assigned to a new foster home where he befriends comic book superfan Freddy. One day, Billy’s subway ride is interrupted by a mysterious Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) whose been searching for ages to find the right successor to inherit his powers. He reveals the teen’s been selected to gain an assortment of abilities, and all it takes is for Billy to say ‘SHAZAM!’”
Shazam! is scheduled to hit cinemas on April 5th next year. That places it between Aquaman on December 21st, 2018 and Wonder Woman 1984 on November 1st, 2019, both of which should also be getting some footage shown at next week’s SDCC. Suffice it to say, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of DC Comics.
