In the comic book realm, it’s easy to have a battle between Shazam and Black Adam. The pair have been linked from the beginning as the current and former champions of the wizard Shazam. However, Dwayne Johnson, the star of Black Adam, showed little interest in appearing in either Shazam! or its sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. And Black Adam’s absence is clearly a missed opportunity, according to director David F. Sandberg.
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Sandberg was asked if he was disappointed about not being able to explore the shared history of Shazam and Black Adam. Surprisingly, Sandberg said that he had no regrets and explained why. But he also admitted that a battle between the hero and the antihero would have been a good way to go.
“The thing about Black Adam is that he has the same powers as Shazam, and we did that in the first movie where we gave Sivana [Mark Strong] the same power,” noted Sandberg. “So I don’t think the fight itself would’ve been super interesting, but I do think it’s a missed opportunity. What makes the most sense is to have them fight each other, so it’s money left on the table. But it’s how it is.”
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Despite Johnson’s apparent reluctance to make crossover between the two films, the connections between them began in the first Shazam! movie. Johnson’s likeness briefly appears as Black Adam in the scene where the wizard Shazam explains the history of the Rock of Eternity. Djimon Hounsou also appeared as the wizard in both Shazam! movies and in Black Adam. Johnson was even an executive producer on the first Shazam! film.
During his THR interview, Sandberg also noted that he originally planed to use the Justice Society members from Black Adam in Fury of the Gods‘ mid-credits scene. However, those plans fell through and he went in a different direction.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing in theaters.
Would you have been more excited about Fury of the Gods if it had Shazam vs. Black Adam as its primary storyline? Let us know in the comment section below!
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