The Horror Easter Egg You Likely Missed In The Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Trailer
While Marvel makes history with its interconnected superhero universe, Warner Bros. and DC are taking it one step further by combining multiple cinematic universes into one weird mash-up with an upcoming sequel. There is a lot to love about the new trailer for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" that WB dropped on Saturday, July 23, during the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. One of the things from this first look at the highly-anticipated pic is the incredibly talented Helen Mirren as Hespera, one of the two villains in addition to Lucy Liu's Kalypso. Other small details from the "Fury of the Gods" trailer include the reveal of a big ol' dragon, a possible Rock of Eternity tease, and the Shazam Family suiting up for battle.
However, perhaps one of the (arguably) stand-out fan-favorite moments brings together two cinematic franchises in a brief shot that occurs about a minute into the "Fury of the Gods" trailer. Additionally, it involves the appearance of a character — well, a toy, really — that doesn't exactly belong in the world of Shazam and involves director David F. Sandberg having fun referring to one of his previous movies.
Annabelle makes a creepy appearance
Director David F. Sandberg is no stranger to the horror elements that seem to course through the new "Shazam!" outing. With dark magic and mythical monsters wreaking havoc across the city of Philadelphia, it is easy to see the traces of this ominous genre baked right into the superhero film. As it happens, Sandberg is no stranger to horror. His IMDb profile reminds us that he helmed Theresa Palmer-led supernatural thriller "Lights Out" in 2016 and multiple horror shorts, including "Closet Space" and "Attic Panic."
However, Sandberg may be best known for directing the horror origin story of another shared universe, "Annabelle: Creation" (before "Shazam!" that is). The film follows the origins of how the creepy doll comes to be before meeting Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). Being Sandberg's biggest hit and biggest project at the time, it is no wonder the doll holds a special place in his heart — so much so that it makes an appearance in the "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" trailer.
Much of the trailer's two-and-a-half-minute runtime is narrated by a conversation Shazam (Zachary Levi) has who we think is his therapist but is later revealed as his pediatrician (P.J. Byrne). When the doctor reminds him of this fact, he motions to a play area containing the dolls of Wonder Woman, Batman, and a creepy Annabelle sitting at a table, ready for tea.
She's becoming a DCEU regular
This isn't the first time the doll has made it into a David F. Sandberg film, or even a DCEU film. Annabelle appears in the first "Shazam!" as well (via CBR). When young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) enters a thrift store, he stops when he sees two police officers inside. Perched on a shelf, with the trademark stare into the camera, is Annabelle. Let's be honest: You would have sold that doll, too.
Sandberg isn't the only director to place her into their DCEU films. James Wan is the mastermind behind "The Conjuring" universe, following the Warrens as they investigate supernatural occurrences. Annabelle is one of the items in their collection and was so terrifying she got her spin-offs. Wan loved her so much that he gave the doll her brief appearance in his "Aquaman" solo film. In that DC flick, just before Arthur Curry (Jason Mamoa) and Mera (Amber Heard) get on her ship, you can spot the doll on the ocean floor. It is brief, and you'll have to be quick with the pause button to see her, but Wan couldn't leave her out. Again, if our ship sank, we'd be ok letting that doll live on the ocean floor, far away from us.
Either way, she is becoming a staple for cameos in the DCEU, and we look forward to searching for her in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom."