Does Shazam die in ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods?’

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Shazam!: Fury of the Gods is an epic superhero sequel featuring returning cast members as well as some new faces. The film takes place years after the 2019 film and was praised during the world premiere, stating that it manages to step up from its predecessor. However, due to the pending changes that are happening in the DCU, it’s currently unknown if Shazam will have a place in Gunn’s film universe.

Due to this uncertainty for the character’s future, there is speculation that Shazam could die. After all, he’s battling against Daughters of Atlas, gods who are after his powers after they were stripped away a long time ago who don’t consider Billy Baston (aka Shazam) worthy of them. So with the state of the DCU that’s been reported recently and the premise that the film teased, does Shazam prove himself a hero by making the ultimate sacrifice?

Does Shazam die in Shazam! Fury of the Gods?

Throughout the second film, we see Shazam! question his worthiness, not just as a hero but also as a member of his adopted family. He’s currently dealing with impostor syndrome, possibly due to past trauma like his birth parents abandoning him and his early journey as a superhero in the first film. He’s also worried that he will be forced to leave home since he’s turning 18 very soon and will be kicked out of the foster system. Due to this, he feels he needs to prove that he’s worthy, and he does this by making the ultimate sacrifice.

During the final battle against Kalypso, the Goddess of Chaos, Hespera shrank the dome so it would only contain both our hero and the vengeful daughter and her dragon. Billy lied to his family that he will return, when in reality, his plan was to overload the staff, causing a bomb-like explosion. This meant that our young hero had to sacrifice himself to save the world.

While Shazam did receive a hero’s death, his trip to the underworld was cut short thanks to the hero’s superhero crush, Wonder Woman. The Amazonian made her way to Month Olympus where Shazam was buried and refilled the power of the staff, which helped with Shazam’s resurrection. Wonder Woman believed that Shazam still had some fight left in him to save the world and leaves by teasing him that they might meet again in the future.

While Shazam!’s death might have been poetic and the perfect way to end his story, it seems like DC isn’t done with him just yet. It’s currently unknown if he will have a place in Gunn’s Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters. But one thing’s for sure, he’s not dead and was given a second chance to live his life and save the world.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now showing in theaters.