The overall result is a delightful, wholesome family film on par with the underrated original. Infused with the childlike joy that made the first so enjoyable, "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" explores the complexities of what it means to be a hero and how everyone can be worthy if given the chance.
After a forgettable theatrical run and lukewarm reception, it makes sense that Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) wouldn't do well at the box office. However, what is surprising is how bad it did because it is the worst-performing movie in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe.
Due to its clichéd narrative, poor CGI, erratic tone, uneven pace, unimpressive action, unimpressive villains, and undeveloped characters, Fury of the Gods disappointed most fans. The familial dynamic and passion that made the first Shazam! so adored weren't adequately depicted in the movie.
Do I need to see Black Adam before Shazam Fury of the Gods?
Fury of the Gods” takes place after “Black Adam” and the multiverse-traversing “The Flash” takes place all over the place — but is chronologically set around the same time as “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
This new Shazam! film is cordial, with a puppyish good nature and an awareness of its own silliness. It has its stumbles, but it knows what kind of movie it wants to be: An earnest superhero romp that entertains and tugs at the heartstrings. It certainly succeeds there.
Watch This Before You See Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Is Shazam Fury of the Gods worth it?
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” mostly sticks to the comic book formula that the first movie poked fun at, despite another strong comedic performance from star Zachary Levi and some sporadic yuks throughout. It's schtickier and less assured than the first “Shazam!” but these leftovers still reheat well enough.
Many felt that the movie lacked character development, had a predictable plot, and was mediocre compared to its predecessor. The negative word-of-mouth created a lack of excitement and anticipation around the movie, leading to low box office numbers. Even fans of the first Shazam!
Black Adam and Shazam both get their powers from the same Council of Wizards, which explains why Teth-Adam says "Shazam!" to power up. Unlike Billy Batson, though, Black Adam draws his powers from the Egyptian gods: Shu, Heru, Amon, Zehuti, Aton, and Mehen.
Last week, The Wrap reported that Dwayne Johnson interfered with the sequel by preventing the filmmakers from using Black Adam characters in its post-credits sequence — even though Black Adam and Shazam originated in the same series of comics.
mainly because Black Adam was shown in numerous occasions to have the ability to completely overpower Bill Batson which fans debated as a rival to Superman. Black Adam is empowered by 7 Egyptian Gods while Shazam only is empowered by 6 Greek Gods.
Though Black Adam made a respectable $393 million worldwide, its budget reached $260 million, not including marketing costs. Several potential reasons were offered for its flop, with many insiders accusing Johnson of using Black Adam to wield his power and organize a DC takeover.
Bad casting, bad directing, bad writing, bad storytelling all around, just to name a few. Trying to create an MCU-like universe for the DC heroes seems simple enough, yet DC's try at it has been lacking in nearly every way.
Was Gal Gadot actually in Shazam Fury of the Gods?
But Fury of the Gods (now streaming on Max) also features another key DC figure: Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, who makes a surprise cameo near the end of the film.
If a Shazam 3 does happen, it is likely several years away as DC Studios currently has other projects in motion and only releases two live-action movies per year. A 2028 release date is possible unless there are changes to the production schedule.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who considered it inferior to its predecessor. It was also a box-office bomb, grossing $134 million worldwide against a production budget of $110–125 million.
With Billy Batson's stated age in Shazam! being "basically 15," he is just a few months shy of 18 when he returns to wield the 6 powers of Shazam three years later in Shazam: Fury of the Gods.
Johnson announced in December that “Black Adam 2” was not moving forward for now. “'Black Adam' got caught in a vortex of new leadership,” Johnson said when Hart asked how it felt for franchise to be stopped. “It was so many changes in leadership.
The now-infamous mid-credits scene in 2022's Black Adam famously reintroduced Henry Cavill's Superman as a force capable of stopping the antihero, teeing up a showdown that will now never happen.
With the power of Shazam, Teth-Adam cannot control himself from being corrupted. Eventually, the powers of the Egyptian Gods transformed him into the anti-hero he is known as today. Black Adam never returned as the Mighty Adam and debuted as an anti-hero. Later on, he became the nemesis of the hero named Shazam.
On their own, both these noble heroes are capable of beating incredible forces. But for all Shazam's power, he does not match Thor's experience in using the more arcane elements of his abilities.
Even though Superman is often considered the most powerful character in the DC Universe, Shazam definitely comes close, and he can even beat the Man of Steel. And with a massive power upgrade, there's no question that Shazam can meet Superman blow for blow—despite the upgrade's terrible side effects.
When he is attacked by Black Adam and the Seven Deadly Sins, Billy shares his Shazam powers with his father, making him the prophesied seventh and final member of the Shazam Family. In superhero form, C.C. Batson wears a yellow/gold costume with red trim (an inverse of the colors of Billy's costume).
Fury of the Gods haters. Four months after the big-budget DC superhero film flopped with critics (49 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) and at the box office ($57 million domestically), the star hit back at the film's detractors on Tuesday's episode of The FilmUp Podcast.
Currently, Shazam 2 is the lowest-grossing outing of the DC Extended Universe behind Wonder Woman 1984 ($166.4 million) and The Suicide Squad ($167.1 million).
So the fact that he has a family that is willing to go into battle with him must be a great mental and emotional boost that could help his morale and confidence. But still, in terms of raw strength, there's no denying that Shazam becomes weaker when he has to split his innate ability between his other family members.
