Shazam!, starring Zachary Levi, returns to theaters this month. The film sequel, Fury Of The Gods, was announced as the DCEU's 12th installment and is set to follow Billy Baston and his foster siblings as they battle the Daughters of Atlas to prevent them from using a superweapon to destroy the world. Given the turmoil at DC Studios, with no projects secured due to the rebranding that James Gunn and Peter Safran are doing, rumors have it that Shazam! 2 will be the final installment of the franchise. According to director David F. Sandberg, the audience's reception of Shazam! Fury of the Gods will dictate if the story continues, but before that happens, he might have to take a break from the superhero stuff.
In an interview with The Playlist, Sandberg addressed the future of Shazam! and expressed his desire for a break from the DC stuff. “I don’t know about the full-scale plans, but they keep telling me that there’s nothing in Shazam that conflicts with what they’ve got in mind for the future,” Sandberg said about DC Studio’s plans for the character. “So maybe, yeah, there could be more Shazam. But as for me? I just did two of these in a row, so I need a little break. But if they want to do more, I’m more than happy to talk.”
Sandberg was asked what kind of project he intends to venture out on next, and he recalled a horror movie he almost started years ago. “I don’t know exactly what my next move is because we’ve got a few things at various stages of development,” the director continued. “The Culling” is one of them. We’ll see which one comes together first; that’s the approach you have to have. You get a lot of things going and then move on to whichever one can get the green light first.”
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Superhero or franchise fatigue is one of the things that moviegoers tend to struggle with these days. But the relentlessness of franchise films affects more than just audiences; the people who work on them may understand them better than anyone else. Franchises are best consumed in moderation, especially when you spend more than five years immersed in their creation. Sandberg worked on Shazam! for years so he might feel the burnout. “Yeah, just because it’s been so long,” he confirmed. “I’ve been working on “Shazam” since 2017, something like that, a multi-year project. You just want to mix it up.” he reasoned.
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods arrives in theaters on March 17.
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