Superman/Batman References
Shazam! is perhaps the best DC movie so far for capturing what it would be like to live in a world where the Justice League exists. Mainly, this is achieved through Freddy and his encyclopedic knowledge of the world’s heroes, which allows the filmmakers to fit in a range of easter eggs to the comics, classic movies and fellow DCEU entries. Most are to do with Batman and Superman.
Freddy’s collection, for instance, features many allusions to the events of Man of Steel and Batman V Superman, like his issue of Time covering Zod’s invasion of Metropolis. Meanwhile, when exploring Billy’s newfound powers, Freddy tests whether his friend can “leap tall buildings in a single bound” and is “faster than a locomotive,” two traditional descriptions of Superman’s gifts.
On the Batman side of things, Billy trains in an abandoned factory which – you’ll see if you look carefully at the steel tanks inside – is actually a former Ace Chemicals plant. When they visit a real estate agent for a “lair,” meanwhile, Billy describes one with a waterfall you can drive through, much like the Dark Knight does with his Batcave.
Of course, all the Supes/Bats love leads into Superman’s cameo in the final scene. Note that John Williams’ theme from Superman: The Movie plays for a few seconds as the Man of Steel shows up.
Our favorite nod to the 1978 flick, however, is the newspaper headline about Shazam that reads “Caped Wonder Stuns City” – the same headline The Daily Bugle ran when Supes made his first public appearance.
Mister Mind
Shazam!‘s mid-credits scene reveals that Sivana will find himself an unlikely new ally in his quest to gain magical domination in the sequel. And the ally in question probably left many moviegoers scratching their heads. Yes, the villain’s new pal is a talking caterpillar. This, you see, is Mister Mind, a Venusian hyper-intelligent worm with telepathic powers. He’s been around since 1943 and has often teamed-up with Sivana, so the follow-up has a long history to draw on.
Those paying attention will note that this is not Mind’s first appearance in the film, either. When Sivana is called to the wizard’s realm as a boy, he peers at a glass dome in which the evil worm is trapped. During the later clash between the hero and villain in the realm, it can be seen that the dome has been smashed. Hence how he later tracks Sivana down to his jail cell.
In his final speech, Mister Mind tells Sivana that together they will unleash the monsters of the seven realms. This must be a nod to the Monster Society of Evil, the worm’s league of villains in the comics. The seven realms isn’t a concept from the source material, but it could be an altered take on the monsterlands instead. Clearly, Sandberg and his team already have plans for a Shazam! sequel, so let’s hope they get the chance to bring them to life.