Credit: DC/Warner Bros.Seems DC might be a little embarrassed…
The world of digital release has expedited audiences’ ability to bring big titles into their homes. It has been a great resource but also a source of friction in some areas. It has also been a quiet way to sort of shuffle off titles that studios haven’t been that impressed with, and it seems like DC Studios is going that route with their latest endeavor.
Related: Rachel Zegler Chastises ‘Shazam! 2’ Critics as “Senselessly Mean”
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s first release as co-CEOs of DC Studios hasn’t been the best start. With a massive swath of cancellations immediately following their installation, fans would think that those films which remained did so because either they were impressive enough to keep around, or they would be profitable to the company, or they were integral to the new storytelling direction of the studio. Perhaps Gunn and Safran believed these were the case, but for at least the second point, this hasn’t panned out.
After a dismal opening weekend, Zachary Levi responding to critics, and director David F. Sandberg leaving the genre entirely, there’s no real positive way to spin it! Not to mention Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) comes on the heels of another DC struggle, Black Adam (2022), which itself was dead on arrival, despite Dwayne Johnson’s best efforts. Now, it looks like Fury of the Gods may be getting the same treatment as Black Adam.
CBR reported on an update from Amazon Prime Video, which reveals that, like Black Adam, Fury of the Gods will have an extremely short theatrical run before heading straight to digital. Prime Video shows that the newest DC film will be available on digital just one month after its theatrical release. This seems to be the final nail in the Shazam coffin and certainly creates a shaky future for the franchise and everyone involved.
With Sandberg out, any future Shazam endeavor would be helmed by a new director, and that’s if there is any future Shazam, which seems unlikely. Perhaps due to Dwayne Johnson’s behavior, perhaps Black Adam’s performance at the box office, or just maybe because of creative differences, Black Adam was almost immediately canceled after release. Despite urgent pleas from the cast, will the same thing happen to Shazam?
Related: Shazam’s Zachary Levi Calls Toxic DC Fans “Very Powerless People”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is still in theaters for the time being and stars Zachary Levi/Angel as Billy Batson/Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer/Adam Brody as Freddy Freeman, Rachel Zegler as Anthea, Helen Mirren as Hespera, and Lucy Liu as Kalypso. Fury of the Gods follows the Shazam family as they face a new threat in the daughters of Atlas, whose new weapon threatens to destroy the world.
What do you think about this early release? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!
