Shazam! Fury Of The Gods Trailer Hides Classic DC Villains In Plain Sight
Thanks to San Diego Comic-Con 2022, we've gotten a ton of information on upcoming projects from DC and Warner Bros. Discovery. With rumors of a shake-up and overhaul of DC content on television and in the DC Extended Universe (via Variety), everything has seemed a little uncertain for fans. Not to mention, the legal troubles facing Flash actor Ezra Miller before his highly-anticipated "The Flash" solo film have left the future of his time as the Scarlet Speedster uncertain (via Deadline). However, "The Flash" is still on the way, along with several other movies on the DC slate, like "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," which had its premiere moved up to December 2022 (via Collider).
SDCC has now provided the "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" official trailer as well, and there's a lot to unpack. The first film from 2019 gives the origin story of the DCEU's Billy Batson (Asher Angel), as he acquires his powers from Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) and takes on the evil Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) with the help of his friend, Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer). In the end, the powers of Shazam are bestowed upon all of the members of the orphanage of which Billy is part, creating the famed Shazam Family from DC Comics.
The trailer for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" revealed that Billy and his family still fight villains together, specifically Helen Mirren's Hespera — a god who seeks the Shazam family's powers. Although she seems to be the main antagonist, other DC villains are hidden in plain sight.
Starro and Titano the Super-Ape are hinted at in Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer
According to what can be seen through the first trailer for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," the sequel may have hidden some hints at other villains in the DC Universe that may be lurking in the shadows. Small clues pointing to the iconic villains of Starro (who recently appeared in "The Suicide Squad") and Titano the Super-Ape are revealed in one specific instance during the trailer.
During a humorous scene, Billy is fully suited up as Shazam and uses his pediatrician (P.J. Byrne) as a therapist to vent about his insecurities about being worthy to have powers. His pediatrician explains that he is only that, pointing to a wall with the alphabet and creatures next to letters to seemingly help the kids that come to see him learn. However, some of the creatures that sit next to letters in the alphabet are a little specific. Next to the letter "S" is a big starfish, and "Starro" is spelled out definitively. Next to the letter "T" is the words "Titano the Super-Ape" which is another known DC villain.
It is unclear if this is merely just a nod to famous villains from DC Comics or a foreshadowing for future events, but either way, it's interesting to see these characters show up on the board of Billy's pediatrician. Although, he seems to be a big hero fan based on the other knick-knacks that can be seen in his office.