DC’s release slate has been at a standstill ever since James Gunn’s announcement about DCU’s first live-action film, Superman. His pet project, Peacemaker suffers too under Gunn’s self-impositions as the series’ Season 2 remains held up at Max until Superman is officially released worldwide.
With all the recent developments that have been happening with the CBM studio, it isn’t too surprising that Zachary Levi’s Shazam! has been suspended until further notice as well. However, one unexpected update from the film’s young cast member has thrown all of the plans into disarray as fans scramble to decipher the meaning behind Asher Angel’s cryptic message on X (formerly Twitter).
Shazam! Star Asher Angel Teases Major Role at DC
Starting out as a child star in Jessica Chastain’s 2008 film Jolene, Asher Angel has had a bright career in Nickelodeon and Disney until 2019 launched him globally as the DC superhero, Billy Batson.
![Asher Angel (R) with Dylan Grazer (L) in Shazam (2019) [Credit Warner Bros. Pictures]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/13040503/Asher-Angel-R-with-Dylan-Grazer-L-in-Shazam-2019-Credit-Warner-Bros.-Pictures.jpeg)
After 6 years, under James Gunn’s leadership as the creative and strategic head of DC Studios, Asher Angel may have another shot at being a superhero that is more relevant to the young adult generation of DC fans by being promoted to a member of the Bat family.
In a recent update on X, Angel posted a cryptic message with a hopeful intonation that has launched DC fans into a frenzy.
— Asher Angel (@asherangel) May 12, 2024
Although DCU is still a distance away from bringing the Bat-family to life, the side universe by Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson leaves an opening to begin the arc for Nightwing as Pattinson morphs into a more world-weary Crusader.
Shazam 3 Fate Remains Unreliable Under James Gunn’s DCU
With James Gunn’s interconnected DC Universe in the pipeline, there is hardly any point (and frankly, the time) to invest in the future of the former DCEU. Zachary Levi’s Shazam! is a product of that universe and as such, is bound to face a similar conundrum. Moreover, Levi’s co-star, Asher Angel, may have just confirmed the suspicions in his recent May 2024 interview with Comic Book Movie, where he claimed:
“Yeah, I think we always planned on making a third one, but you have new people come in and take over and plans can change and things can shift. I guess we’ll see. We’ll see what the future holds.”
With Shazam! Fury of the Gods crashing at the box office and being a critical nightmare for the studio’s interim reputation, it seems hardly likely that James Gunn would allow for Levi’s third solo outing as DC’s Captain Marvel.
However, the post-credits scene for the star-studded film had Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee’s characters from Peacemaker recruiting the superhero for the Justice Society of America that debuted in Black Adam (2022). This leaves Shazam’s fate in DC open-ended, making Zachary Levi and Asher Angel’s return potentially possible in the future.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is available for streaming on Max.
