2's Batman and Superman Cameos Were Scrapped. Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg reveals why the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight don't appear in the DC Universe sequel.
While Batman and Superman ended up not appearing in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the movie was not completely devoid of DC's iconic Trinity. Shazam 2 saw Wonder Woman cameo in a couple of scenes, with one of them being a delightful gag and the other a very important moment in the story.
The role wasn't even played by Henry Cavill and was just a headless cameo of the red-caped superhero. It was also known that the cameo was done by none other than Shazam's body double. But this doesn't mean they didn't want Cavill's cameo, as Zachary Levi had set the record straight on this topic.
Shazam is in a similar strength class as Superman, but he can also command lightning. Shazam's magical powers give him a clear advantage over Superman whenever they meet in battle. The two heroes have fought several times, and Shazam almost always takes the win unless outside forces are at play.
It's important to note that the rules around worthiness had been temporarily suspended to allow this to happen. As soon as the fight was over, Superman couldn't lift the hammer anymore. However, under normal circumstances, without any weird interference, Superman is worthy of Mjolnir.
Shazam has proven to be Superman's equal or superior in a variety of ways. The fact his powers are magic-based means he can hurt Superman a lot. The best example of this is Kingdom Come when Shazam pounds Superman with his fists and pulverizes him with magical lightning.
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. Earlier this week, Shazam!
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 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.
However, when all is said and done, Superman is more ruthless and experienced as a fighter. Shazam would hold back too much, hoping to get him to see the error of his ways. Magic is Superman's weakness, but it's not as debilitating as kryptonite is.
The modern-day Shazam Family on the variant cover of Shazam! (vol. 3) #13 (September 2020). Clockwise from center: Shazam/Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman, Mary Bromfield, Eugene Choi, Darla Dudley, and Pedro Peña.
Here's your first look at David Corenswet as the new Superman for DC's upcoming film about the "Man of Steel." DC on May 6 released an image of Corenswet in his Superman outfit, appearing to adjust his left boot. "Get ready," an X message accompanying the photo read, along with the film's release date: July 11, 2025.
Who is in the Superman cast? After months of searching and secret auditions, Gunn finally announced his two leads for Superman in June 2023. Newcomer David Corenswet will be our new Clark Kent, Kal-El and Superman, while The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan will be his Lois Lane.
Superman and Shazam may have started publication in the real world pretty close to one another, but it took years for them to actually meet one another on the page, and decades for anyone to retroactively tell the story of what that must have actually been like for them.
While Black Adam may have had a strong opening, it quickly hit a brick wall in terms of box office and crashed out at less than $400 million worldwide amid bad reviews. Not only is a Black Adam sequel not happening, but Henry Cavill's Superman return isn't either, as the role has been recast for Gunn's new vision.
Shazam acknowledges that he is unsure if he is stronger than Black Adam, despite his confidence in his mortal form. Both Shazam and Black Adam possess the same strengths endowed by the Wizard and have never been able to triumph over each other.
In The Marvel Family #1, Black Adam is an ancient Egyptian named Teth-Adam (i.e., "Mighty Human"), who is chosen by the wizard Shazam to be his successor due to his presumed moral purity. This story is reprinted in DC's Shazam! #8 (1973), which is his first appearance in the Bronze Age.
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.
Despite Black Adam's challenge, Superman's Kryptonian physiology ultimately makes him stronger, as confirmed in the issue. Fans eagerly anticipate a future showdown between Superman and Black Adam, with potential for an epic battle in various mediums.
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.
Superman can't take on Darkseid alone. The entire Justice League still struggled to face this celestial being. Every time Superman has faced off with Darkseid it visually ends in a stalemate, although the ruler of Apokolips is still one of Superman's greatest adversaries.
There's no question the Hulk is a near-indestructible force who comes out on top in almost all of his battles of pure strength. However, against Superman, he's outmatched. While Hulk's strength might rival that of the Man of Steel, Superman's other abilities give him a considerable edge against his opponent.
While Superman could potentially overpower Thor, blows rendered by the mystical Mjolnir would likely impose serious damage on the Kryptonian hero. With his super-speed, the Man of Steel could probably avoid the Thunder God's lightning, but not necessarily, since Thor is just as fast.
