Introduction
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the DC sequel featuring superhero Shazam, failed to make a splash at the box office, opening to an underwhelming $30.1 million at the domestic box office, considerably lower than the $53.5 million earned by the first film in 2019. In a fan Q&A, Star Zachary Levi opened up about the disappointing debut, blaming the soft box office on how the movie was promoted and sold.
Marketing the Biggest Issue, Says Levi
In the same fan Q&A, Levi addressed the movie’s disappointing performance, saying that the “biggest issue” with Fury of the Gods was marketing. He also acknowledged the online toxicity of some Snyder devotees who eagerly root for any other DC project to fail. One Shazam fan tweeted, “There is no denying that at the moment, many Snyder fans are happy for the failure of your film, and many of them wish that everything that is to come fails just for not continuing with the films of their director.”
Levi responded, saying, “This is also true. Sad, but true. How much that affects the box office is anyone’s guess. But I think the biggest issue we’re having is marketing. This is a perfect family movie, yet many families aren’t aware of that. Which is just a shame.”
Dwayne Johnson’s Reported Veto
According to a report from The Wrap, members of the Justice Society of America were initially supposed to appear in the end-credits scene of Fury of the Gods (after recently debuting in Black Adam). But Dwayne Johnson reportedly vetoed their appearance in the Shazam sequel and rejected a potential Levi cameo in Black Adam. Representatives for Johnson did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment Tuesday.
Levi didn’t explicitly confirm the Wrap report but referenced it on his Instagram story: “The truth shall set you free.”
Director Addresses Criticism and Online Toxicity
Shazam director David F. Sandberg also addressed the response to Fury of the Gods on Twitter, writing that he was “surprised” by the critical reception. He added, “As I’ve been saying for a while now, I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as try some new things). After six years of Shazam, I’m done with superheroes for now.”
Like Levi, Sandberg addressed the online toxicity of some fans, explaining that although he’s incredibly proud of the two Shazam movies he directed, he’s ready to unplug from the constant online chatter around superhero movies.
“One thing I’ve been looking forward to is disconnecting from the superhero discourse online,” Sandberg wrote. “Much of that stresses me out so much, and it will be nice not having to think about that anymore.”
New Era for DC Films
Earlier this year, new DC Films co-chairs James Gunn, and Peter Safran unveiled their plans for future movies and TV shows — including a new Superman film without original Snyder actor Henry Cavill. The new era will essentially reboot the existing DC universe, dropping Snyder’s vision in favor of a new direction.
