Shazam Is Standalone, But ‘Definitely Within The DCEU’

Just over ten years ago, the idea of having an ongoing shared universe was just a pipe dream. Coming out of film school, even I couldn’t foresee a future where a studio would have the confidence to have several franchises make up the same world. The closest I thought we’d ever get was that time Michael Keaton played Ray Nicolette in Jackie Brown and Out of Sight — two completely different films and productions.

Of course, the game is completely different these days. We expect movies to not only become totally fulfilling experiences, but we also want them to contribute to the overarching narrative in some meaningful way — an arc that will someday slam into all the other franchises in a big crossover movie. Shazam! is the next film to hit in the DC Extended Universe, and Warner Bros. seems to be a bit tenuous in how they play their cards with their films, and more often than not seem to lean heavily either in the direction of “DCEU-set” or “its own thing.” Rarely do they seem to balance it well. So which is it for Shazam!? Here’s what star Zachary Levi said to Screen Rant.

“We are definitely within the DCEU world. Everything that has happened – again, you should ask the people above me about some of these things – but the bulk of… I think since the Man of Steel, all of that has really happened in our world. Freddy is more the comic book–not just comics, he is the superhero aficionado. That guy is all about it. All of that stuff, theoretically, we could have been watching on the news as it was going down.”

“I mean, everything exists that we had in there. It’s all these DC toys–they’re all real DC toys that are in there” the actor continued, referencing the superhero toys seen in the Shazam! trailers. “I mean, for some [the studio/producers] were like, ‘Hey, you can’t have that character, because that character’s not in the universe yet. You have to stick to these characters.'”

RELATED – Shazam! Director On Pros And Cons Of Big Superhero Films Vs. Smaller Films

So, does this mean it’ll be heavily reliant on what came before? Not really.

“No, in that case, it’s very standalone. Like, you don’t have to have seen any of the other films, because it’s its own, contained story, really. It’s just more the world of [DC movies] that’s part of it.”

Sounds like a solid mix to me of acknowledging the world without being reliant on it, which I think is the way DC should be going right now. But do you agree? Let us know your thoughts down below!

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCES: Screen Rant

Night Terror Banner   GenreVerse FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoGBreaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube! Subscribe on: Apple PodcastsSpotify |  SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
Share the Post: