Shazam! Fury of the Gods had a rough start at the box office, making only $30 million domestically during its opening weekend, which was one of the worst in DCEU history. The movie failed to capture the attention of moviegoers despite Zachary Levi’s return as Billy Batson, also known as Shazam, in the sequel released in March.
The first Shazam movie, released in 2018, was a modest success, earning $363 million worldwide with a budget under $90 million, leading to the approval of a sequel. However, the DC movie landscape has undergone significant changes since then. In 2022, Warner Bros. released Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam film, which included a post-credits scene that confused and disconnected audiences, featuring Henry Cavill as Superman.
There has been a shift in leadership as producer Peter Safran and writer/director James Gunn now oversee the new DC Studios, which is set to launch with the animated series Creature Commandos and the highly anticipated Superman: Legacy.
Shazam 2 suffered from a lack of direction within the cinematic universe, compounded by the poor reception of Black Adam, which contributed to a general lack of interest in the film.
Shazam 2 is the DCEU’s Lowest-Earning Movie
Just how poorly did Fury of the Gods perform?
With lackluster box office numbers, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has only earned $133.4 million worldwide. This makes it the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU since its inception in 2013.
Not only did it fall short by over $200 million compared to its predecessor, but it was also outperformed by two films that were simultaneously released on HBO Max during the COVID-19 pandemic (Wonder Woman 1984 & The Suicide Squad).
Warner Bros. is undoubtedly disappointed with these results, but Shazam 2 faced challenges from the start and the studio is currently in a holding pattern at the box office until James Gunn’s DC Universe takes off.
Why Did Shazam 2 Bomb at the Box Office?
Over the past decade, a significant change in audience expectations for comic book movies is the desire for not only a fun experience but also connections to other films and characters.
Shazam 2 is primarily a standalone sequel to its 2018 original, with loose connections to the broader DCEU that mainly revolve around a cameo by a headless Superman in the post-credits scene of the first film.
Continuity plays a vital role in these movies, which contributed to the success of Marvel Studios in the 2010s and beyond.
In a puzzling decision, Black Adam, the main antagonist from the Shazam comics, had an origin movie released just months before the Shazam! sequel, yet the two films have no significant connection.
If there was a cinematic universe manual written by Kevin Feige, this execution would likely be listed under “What Not To Do.”
Considering that the film was a step down from the original, lacked relevance to the past, present, or future of the DC universe, and centered around a forgettable character, these are the results the studio faces.
There is still hope for the rest of the 2023 DC slate, as The Flash has received positive reviews and reactions, Blue Beetle has potential as a sleeper hit, and Jason Mamoa’s presence could make Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom a commercial success.
In truth, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav won’t lose sleep over the underperformance of Shazam! 2, as the focus is on James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy and future projects beyond 2023.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods will be available to stream on Max starting May 23.
