Warning: potential SPOILERS for Shazam!

Billy Batson has finally been chosen as the new Shazam, champion of magic in the DC movie universe. So with all the powers of an Olympian god… why wasn’t he chosen BEFORE the events of Justice League, when Earth’s heroes could’ve used him?

It’s a fair question, even if many Shazam fans will be too excited after the new TV spot to ask it. In fact, some might not even have noticed the evidence that Shazam! is set after Superman’s return in the Justice League movie. The movie’s place in the DCEU timeline is set, but thanks to even more footage released in the latest Shazam! TV spot, the filmmakers may have confirmed the reason why a new magical champion was needed now. Why is Billy worthy? That’s a question the film will have to answer. But the new threat in the DCEU that he’s been recruited to fight? That seems to finally be set in stone… or released from it, anyway.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
  • This Page: Shazam! Trailers Confirm The Magic Threat
  • Next Page: Why Billy is Chosen as The New Shazam NOW

Shazam Begins After Justice League Ends

To confirm that Shazam! does, unequivocally, begin after Justice League, viewers need look no further than the various superhero souvenirs, memorabilia, and DC Easter Eggs in Freddy Freeman’s bedroom. While some of these items could have been created and sold prior to Batman v Superman – like a bullet bounced off the Man of Steel’s chest, or even a replica Batarang – others are restricted to a later time. There are shirts emblazoned with the insignia of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Aquaman–all of which would be unrecognizable before they emerged into the public eye post-Justice League.

RELATED: Shazam Director Calls DC/Marvel Rivalry ‘Stupid’

See also  The Last of Us Part 2: Who Plays Abby?

Newspaper headlines can also be seen in Freddy’s room addressing the return of Superman, which means the world is (relatively) safe when Shazam! begins. However, both Lex Luthor’s metahuman theory and Suicide Squad‘s Enchantress speak of a “rise” in superhuman magic events and forces–a return to an Age of Magic, if you will. And now, the new Shazam! TV spot shows how The Wizard has been preparing for it behind the scenes.

The Seven Sins Confirmed By Statues

As with most of the Shazam! movie to this point, the story and its principal characters haven’t been hard to deduce, since it is following the New 52 comic origin of Shazam closer than any origin movie before. That story begins thousands of years earlier, when Pandora accidentally released “the Seven Deadly Sins” into the world. She was punished by the world’s magical leaders, and the Seven Sins were hunted down and captured. The new footage offers a longer look at the movie’s version of the Rock of Eternity, home of The Wizard Shazam… and just like in the comics, statues of the Seven Sins stand frozen before him.

It’s unclear if the Seven Sins of the DCEU were originally in the monstrous forms of these statues (some resemble humans in the comic version) or if it’s artistic license at work. But it’s safe to assume that the same mythology as the comics is being adapted. In which case, these statues may actually be the prisons for the Sins themselves. The shot of an unidentified boy being called to the Rock of Eternity matches the comics as well, in which Billy was one in a long, LONG line of people tested for the job.

See also  Gotham Season 5 Set Designer Teases A New Batcave

So why does Billy get to become Shazam’s new champion? Well, comparing this shot to the previous trailer now seems to reveal the answer. But beware, potential SPOILERS lie ahead…

Page 2 of 2: Why Billy Batson Only Becomes Shazam NOW

Key Release Dates
  • Shazam! (2019)Release date: Apr 05, 2019
  • Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)Release date: Dec 25, 2020
  • Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)Release date: Feb 07, 2020
  • Joker (2019)Release date: Oct 04, 2019

1

2

Infinity War: Did Thanos’ Snap Kill Celestials & Other MCU Cosmic Beings?

About The Author


Andrew Dyce
(3247 Articles Published)

Screen Rant Editor Andrew Dyce was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Despite calling the vast nothingness of the Canadian prairies home (or perhaps because of it) film and television have been a passion since birth. As a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a degree in English Literature, Andrew has grown to appreciate the story and writing behind everything from blockbuster comic book movies to schlocky B-movie action.

More From Andrew Dyce