It’s been a while now since the firstShazam!came out, and it seems as though there’s still quite a wait for the next one. With all the delays and reshuffling in the DC Cinematic Universe,Shazam! 2has been confirmed, but it’ll be some time before it’s all filmed and released to theaters. That said, Warner Bros. has also confirmed an upcomingBlack Adamfilm, raising some interesting questions about the future of Billy Batson’s superhero alter-ego.
While he isn’t given any real mention in the first film,Black Adamis known to be Shazam’s nemesis, having essentially the same powers, but with a slightly different backstory. Though his history has been ret-conned and altered many times, most fans know him as the protector of Kahndaq, who was given superpowers to rescue his people and watch over them in their time of need.
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This is one of his more interesting backstories and it is also his most popular origin among fans, making Black Adam more of an antihero than a straight-up villain. Notably, it also seems to be the direction DC is taking the film in, with Black Adam being played byDwayne “The Rock” Johnsonin his own standalone film, which suggests that while he may be morally gray, he will likely be the protagonist, if not hero, of his own film.
Eventually, Black Adam makes his way to the modern age and strikes up a rivalry with Shazam (who has yet to get an official name in the DC Cinematic Universe). During the climax of the firstShazam!, which wasdirected by David F. Sandberg, Billy Batson also grants powers to all of his adopted family, who, like himself, take on adult forms with incredible powers. One of those adult forms was played by Ross Butler, who recently addressed the upcoming sequel film during an interview with Collider.
As the interview went on, the topic of theBlack Adamfilm came up and while Butler says he has yet to see the full script forthe sequel toShazam!, he hopes that there will be some kind of crossover between the two films: “I don’t know if this is the plan, but Black Adam is the villain of Shazam, and I’m hoping that there’s gonna be a cross-over.”
Of course, Butler couldn’t confirm any sort of cameo or plans, admitting that due to the Coronavirus, they have yet to start up production onShazam! 2.However, the actor did say that he’s holding out hope, arguing that it would be a “disservice” to let the opportunity pass them by.
Shazam! Fury of the Godsis scheduled to be released in theaters on July 29, 2025.
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