The latest Shazam! film, Fury of the Gods, didn’t make the best impression at the box office. Still, the films deliver something that the traditionally-dour DC universe is sorely in need of: a strong grasp on both humor and heart. Though DC is earnestly moving in a new direction in 2024, and planning to leave most of its failed projects in the dust, fans are still curious about Shazam’s future with the franchise. Details have been frustratingly scarce, but Djimon Hounsou, who’s portrayed the enigmatic Wizard in both Shazam! film, is certainly down to return.
“Everything's up in the air for the moment,” Hounsou tells Inverse while promoting his latest film, Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. Still, the actor remains optimistic about a return. “I’m just not sure when, but I’m guessing that eventually I have to do the third one.”
Hounsou is well-known for his roles as gruff, often stoic characters, but Shazam! is one of the few opportunities the actor’s had to flex a different muscle. In Fury of the Gods especially, Hounsou’s Wizard steals the show, dealing some great visual gags and playing off the rest of the ensemble brilliantly. It was exciting to see Hounsou exhibiting more of his range, and remind us all why he’s one of Hollywood’s most impressive actors. While there’s no update yet on whether he’ll get the chance to deliver more humor in a third Shazam!, it’s nice to know he’s interested.
Of course, a potential Shazam 3 is contingent upon the DC Universe’s upcoming reboot, headed up by The Suicide Squad’s James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. The duo now serve as creative co-chairs for DC Studios, and their current plans involve a mixture of old actors and new. Certain alums from the world of Suicide Squad, as well as its spinoffs, will remain in the new regime. But those affiliated with Snyder’s short-lived Justice League team — Henry Cavill’s Superman, Ben Affleck’s Batman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and more — have each been let go.
The world of Shazam falls somewhere in the middle. Gunn recently debunked a rumor that Zachary Levi’s eponymous hero had been recast, but has otherwise been tight-lipped about Shazam’s future prospects. Given its proximity to the now-defunct Black Adam ’verse, Fury of the Gods could be the last we see of the hero. Things haven’t exactly been simpatico with Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson, despite all his efforts to legitimize the anti-hero within the DCU. Johnson won’t play a role in the first phase of the reboot, “Gods and Monsters,” but there may be room for Black Adam down the line, and the same could be said (hopefully) for the Shazam family.
