'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' Director's Humorous Spoof Teaser Promises More Comedy For Sequel

When it comes to DC, some fans have been critical of the lack of humor in certain stories of various media. The DC Extended Universe series of films has been criticized for the lack of lightheartedness in certain installments, even going back to its first installment, Man of Steel. However, things have been changing over the past few years.

Last month, David F. Sandberg, director of last year’s DCEU box office hit Shazam! took to Twitter to share a short teaser trailer of its sequel ahead of DCFandome. Shazam! (perhaps along with Wonder Woman and Aquaman before it to an extent) is widely regarded to be the start of a new chapter for the DC film franchise, after the mixed bag titles Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, and Justice League. Unlike these particular predecessors, this film not only could stand on its own, but had a lot of the heart and humor that was so desperately lacking in the DC live-action film franchise. This was followed by another humorous DCEU film titled Birds of Prey. (The darker and more serious Joker, while very well-received, is not part of the DCEU since it is a standalone set in its own universe.)

Since Shazam! was met with such praise, a sequel is much anticipated, and many people rushed to Twitter to check out what crumbs the director could offer.

However, since Sandberg has yet to start shooting the film, due to the ongoing pandemic, he decided to show fans that he still has his sense of humor. The teaser trailer was fake, complete with dramatic music and cinematic shots layered with silly quotes on top.

“We haven’t shot Shazam! 2 yet but there are already reviews up on Letterboxd. I’m pretty sure that means we’re allowed to start using review quotes for marketing.”

Sandberg compiled a few quotes from Letterboxd, a social media platform for cinephiles where users can rank and review films.

We haven't shot Shazam 2 yet but there are already reviews up on Letterboxd. I'm pretty sure that means we're allowed to start using review quotes for marketing. pic.twitter.com/q7rj528CDR

— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) August 14, 2020

This teaser is fake, but the sequel is indeed real, as it is now set to premiere April 1, 2022, with both the original writer (Henry Gayden) and director returning. Though we cannot tell what the sequel would be about from these vague thirty seconds, we could speculate. Mister Mind was introduced at the very end of the film, so he would likely be the main antagonist of the sequel, perhaps with Dr. Sivana back since Mister Mind was talking to him. We also know that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam film is primed for production, so we could see him facing off Shazam in the sequel. No matter what, we can definitely tell that Sandberg will try to preserve the charm and humor that made audiences fall in love with it the first time around. In the meantime, we can only hope for more information from Warner Bros. At the Shazam! panel at DC FanDome, it was revealed that the title of the sequel is Shazam! Fury of the Gods. This title is bound to continue sparking further speculation about the sequel.

Speaking of DC FanDome, round 2 of this virtual convention will be taking place on Saturday, September 12. For 24 hours starting at 10 AM PST that day, people will be able to watch new panels. If you want to stay in the know, go to dcfandome.com, where you will be able to make your own schedule. DC FanDome was a huge hit the first time around, so there is bound to be something for everyone, and news that is sure to please those who are very much into the DC franchise.

Written By Stephaine Bock

Syndicated From Culture Slate