Many fans saw the announcement of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe to be a breath of life into a struggling franchise. However, it seems as though Warner Bros. Discovery considered the announcements a death knell for Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
According to a new report by The Wrap, the initials tracking numbers for Shazam: Fury of the Gods were entirely reasonable at the time of their release, despite the film ultimately only making around $30 million domestically during its opening weekend. Certain Warner Bros. executives seem to think that James Gunn’s and Peter Safan’s announcement of a new DC Universe lowered “general audience interest” in the second Shazam! film, which partially led to the underperforming box office numbers.
There has been no lack of blame tossed around about the poor performance of the Shazam! sequel. Some fans lay the blame at the feet of The Rock’s ego sinking both Shazam! and Black Adam. Others point to the film’s negative reviews as evidence the film would have never succeeded. Regardless of who, if anyone, is to blame, fans of the series can only hope one tanked film doesn’t destroy a franchise that many people have come to adore.
The future of the DC Universe
James Gunn and Peter Safran told journalists that their vision for the DC Universe includes locked scripts, wiggle room and a unified storyline across film, teleivsion, animation and video game projects. The two explained that the DC Universe could bring back elements from previous DC regimes, meaning that their eight-to-year plan is not a full reboot.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are currently in various stages of post-production at Warner Bros. Discovery, with all four DC Universe movies slated to hit theaters in 2023. Will the characters from those movies make appearances in the new DCU? Only Gunn and Safran know.
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