Shazam! Director & Producer Both Plan to Return for Sequel

Shazam director David F. Sandberg and producer Peter Safran both plan on returning for a hypothetical sequel. After the critical and commercial failure of Justice League, the DCEU rebounded very nicely with last year’s Aquaman, which crossed the $1 billion mark and became the highest-grossing DC film of all-time. Warner Bros. is definitely looking to continue that forward momentum with Shazam, which is only a few weeks from hitting theaters. Taking cues from classics like Big, it promises to be a refreshing superhero movie.

Early word is that Shazam lives up to its on-paper potential, as it’s generated enthusiastic word-of-mouth following the first screenings. If the movie lands with the larger public (including general audiences), then it’ll follow the footsteps of Wonder Woman and Aquaman by being a strong introduction to a new character. Assuming it all goes according to plan, people will be craving future adventures with Billy Batson – including the filmmaking team that brought this movie to the big screen.

Related: Shazam’s Trailer Has A Captain Marvel Joke

In an interview with ComicBook, the duo was asked if they’d be interested in coming back for a followup. Safran responded first by saying, “It’s easy for me to say, ‘I’m on board.” Sandberg followed suit by stating “Let’s do it.”

Shazam! Director & Producer Both Plan to Return for Sequel

It has to be mentioned that at this point in time, WB has yet to officially confirm a Shazam sequel. That being said, the odds of one coming into fruition are high. Though the film is projected to have the lowest box office opening weekend in the DCEU, its reported $80 million budget ensures Shazam does not need to rewrite the record book in order to turn a profit. Even if it only makes $40 million in its first three days, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where it doesn’t become a commercial success. Shazam may be sandwiched between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, but there’s enough space between all of those projects where it shouldn’t hurt Shazam’s financial prospects too much.

It’s not surprising Safran and Sandberg are game to return. Last year, the former confirmed there had already been sequel discussions, including talk about how to deal with Asher Angel (who plays Batson) getting older. Hopefully, Shazam becomes a major hit and the filmmakers are able to play out some of their ideas on the big screen. One would have to imagine any future Shazam followups would involve the titular hero doing battle against Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, who has yet to make his DCEU debut. Regardless of where the story goes in possible sequels, it would be great if WB/DC had a trio of characters they could build around for years to come.