DC’s Shazam! 2 will reportedly begin principal photography in the spring of 2021. The schedule will give enough time for the film to meet its November 2022 theater release.
Shazam! 2 will bring back lead actors Zachary Levi (Shazam) and Asher Angel (Billy Batson) as the grownup superhero and his teenage alter ego. David F. Sandberg is also returning to direct the movie from a screenplay written by Henry Gayden.
According to The Illuminerdi, the studio’s spring 2021 schedule gives the post-production team a generous allowance for fine-tuning the movie’s visual effects. The plan could also be good timing amid the uncertainty over COVID-19 transmission on the set.
In May, Levi told Entertainment Tonight that the movie is still on track despite the perceived delays.
“Right now, they’re writing an amazing script. I don’t have any real details on that. I’ve got some generals, and they all sound amazing,” the actor said. More details and updates at the upcoming DC FanDome event, where a Shazam! panel will be present.
Introducing Mister Mind
Shazam! 2’s plot remains a big secret like most superhero movies. DC did not release a general spoiler-free synopsis as filming is still months away.
However, there’s growing speculation that Mister Mind will enter the picture in the upcoming sequel based on the end credits teaser of the first film. The second movie will likely also revolve around the Magiclands tied to Mister Mind’s agenda.
Incidentally, Sandberg voiced Mister Mind in that short teaser. It’s unclear, however, if a new actor will be stepping in his place since the director can’t likely do both acting and helming a challenging action movie.
Meanwhile, Levi’s character will have plenty of sidekicks in the second movie since his family, and his best friend Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) acquired superpowers.
“There’s certainly a lot of places you can take it, especially now with the family,” Gayden hinted in an interview with Polygon. “There are seven realms, there’s Mister Mind, and all the villains are really steeped in magics. So, I think to ignore that would be a mistake.”
Black Adam’s appearance
Rumors of Black Adam joining the Shazam! sequel has been floating online since the first movie. The character is one of the antagonists in the original comic source and Dwayne Johnson is playing him for DC’s solo Black Adam film. This movie is coming out a year before Shazam! 2.
At this point, DC is mum on Johnson’s appearance in the sequel. However, his character is also an integral part of the Magiclands story; thus, fans are leaning towards the speculation that Black Adam and Shazam will be squaring off in Shazam! 2.
Image used courtesy of Warner Bros/YouTube