Shazam Director Reveals He Turned Down a Marvel Project

After directing horror films, David F. Sandberg entered the superhero movie world with 2019's Shazam as well as the upcoming sequel that is set to release next year. The Swedish filmmaker's take on the iconic DC hero has been praised and lauded by fans. However, as it turns out, he almost considered directing a Marvel movie before he decided to join the DCEU.

As reported by Screen Rant, Sandberg recently responded to a question during a Q&A session where he was asked about why he decided to sign up to direct Shazam! and whether he was offered to direct other superhero projects. He revealed that he was actually in talks to helm Sony's Venom, but he opted for the DCEU project instead.

"I really liked the concept and story and it was with people I like and had worked with before at New Line," Sandberg wrote regarding why he signed up to join Shazam! instead of the Marvel movie. "I read the script for and had a meeting about Venom but I was already going down the path of Shazam and felt that I'd rather do that than pursue Venom."

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The filmmaker also went on to praise the results of the Sony project, "I thought Venom turned out quite good though."

It is interesting to hear that Sandberg almost joined the Marvel Universe instead of the DCEU where he ended up signing on. It is one of those situations where we can ponder on what would have happened if Sandberg ended up directing Venom and what both movies would have looked like.

At the end of the day, it is safe to say that Sandberg made the right decision in choosing the DC project considering what he has done with the film and how it ended up being praised by the audience for his unique entry into the franchise.

Also Read: Shazam 2 Director Reveals Avatar: The Way of Water Caused Film's Delay

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is slated for release in theaters on March 17, 2023.