James Gunn is all set to possibly completely reboot the DC universe and the initial box office numbers of Shazam 2 will only bolster his confidence in his decision. The Zachary Levi starrer Shazam! Fury of the Gods has been finally released in theaters, but it is off to a dismal start that’s poorer than its predecessor. Numbers say it’s the worst of any DCEU film ever made. Fans hoping for another film to complete the trilogy will need to dial down their expectations after this.
Shazam 2 Falls Face First At The Box Office
As per Deadline, Shazam 2 has grossed $3.4 million on Thursday and will probably open to an $11 million total on Friday, and $30 million over the weekend across 4,071 theaters. Directed by David F. Sandberg, the film has raked in the absolute lowest Thursday gross numbers in the history of the DCEU. As such, it’s even lower than the first Shazam movie which grossed $9.2 million in Thursday domestic previews, and also the last released DC movie, Black Adam, that raked in $7.6 million. Here’s what the DCEU films have grossed on Thursday previews at the domestic box office by their order of release:
- Man of Steel (2013) – $21.1M
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – $27.7M
- Suicide Squad (2016) – $20.5M
- Wonder Woman (2017) – $11M
- Justice League (2017) – $13M
- Aquaman (2018) – $13.7M
- Shazam! (2019) – $9.2M
- Birds of Prey (2020) – $4M
- The Suicide Squad (2021) – $4.1M
- Black Adam (2022) – $7.6M
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) – $3.4M
The list doesn’t have Wonder Woman 1984, because the 2020 film didn’t have Thursday screenings at all. Deadline also reports that Shazam 2 has a budget of $125M before promotions and advertisement. The box office numbers come as a surprise because the first film was extremely well received and holds a 90% critics rating and 82% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In comparison, the sequel holds a 54% critic rating and an 84% audience score. Even if the audience score is higher, it’s clear that not many are interested in actually spending money to see the film. As such, with dismal box office numbers, the chances of a sequel becomes lower every day.
Future Of Shazam In The DCU
The Hollywood Reporter published that James Gunn, during the DCU slate presentation, said that the four leads of the DC films releasing in 2023 could reprise their roles in future DCU projects. The outlet reported:
“The four leads of those films could potentially return to their roles in DCU projects down the line. ‘There is nothing that prohibits that from happening,’ said Gunn.”
However, fans weren’t sure that the red cheesy superhero will actually have a future in the DCU. So director David F. Sandberg took to Twitter to clarify that the only way to get more of Shazam will be to watch the movie. He said:
“What I’ve been told is that there’s nothing in the Shazam films that contradict the future plans for DC. So the possibility for more Shazam is there and if that’s what you want your best bet is to go see the film.”
Here’s the tweet:
He definitely won’t if people don’t go see the movie. What I’ve been told is that there’s nothing in the Shazam films that contradict the future plans for DC. So the possibility for more Shazam is there and if that’s what you want your best bet is to go see the film. https://t.co/MdjZuGK4co
— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) February 28, 2023
So while Zachary Levi’s hero could appear in Gunn’s DCU later on, the poor box office numbers seem to indicate that there won’t be another film to complete the Shazam trilogy. However, Shazam 2 could see a rise in box office numbers if word-of-mouth for the film turns out to be good. It remains to be seen how the movie performs.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now in theaters.
