In the busy and lucrative world of superhero cinema where fans and studios are constantly thinking several films ahead, it comes as no surprise to see that people are already speculating on director David F. Sandberg’s future in the franchise months before Shazam! has arrived in cinemas. That being said, it’s also perfectly understandable that the Annabelle: Creation helmsman isn’t feeling ready for such discussions just yet.
A user on Twitter recently lamented that both Sandberg and Aquaman director James Wan have hinted that they might want to take a break from the DCEU in the wake of their respective films’ releases. In his subsequent response, Sandberg explained that it’s just a matter of needing to cool off for a while and forget just how challenging an experience it is to get such big-budget spectacles into theaters.
“It’s just that it takes a crazy amount of work to do a movie like this. It’s like asking a runner at the end of a marathon if they feel like doing another one. You need some time to rest and forget how difficult it was.”
For a filmmaker who’s used to working on modestly scaled horror flicks like Lights Out, the upcoming DCEU movie marks a considerable step up in budget and responsibility for Sandberg, so it only figures that the project would leave him feeling worn out.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether filmgoers will even want another outing from Billy Batson, but after the lackluster box office performance of Justice League last year, Aquaman is currently in the process of getting the DCEU commercially back on track. As it stands, the odds are looking pretty good that Arthur Curry will land a sequel, though Wan’s involvement has yet to be confirmed. We’ll find out if Warner can sustain the momentum of this cinematic universe when Shazam! hits theaters on April 5th, 2019.