Wonder Woman couldn't turn the tide though and even if the sequel does avoid the ignominy of being the lowest-grossing DC Extended Universe outing, you'd imagine that Shazam 3 is extremely unlikely to happen. DC movies might no longer be instantly available on HBO Max, but audiences are savvy enough to know nowadays that they don't have to wait as long as they used to. Rumours suggest Shazam 2 will be available at home by mid-April, around a month after release, so there will be plenty of potential viewers happy to wait. Since Shazam 3 hasn't been confirmed, we've had no official cast confirmations, but we can make some solid guesses. Cast members such as Rachel Zegler and Zachary Levi, along with director David F Sandberg, have been on a charm offensive, insisting it's actually a really good movie and pointing to the 87% audience score.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods Special Screening in London Shazam! Fury of the Gods Special Screening in London

Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), with Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda” franchise) and Helen Mirren (“F9: The Fast Saga”). But for now, it's likely that the DC sequel's failure at the box office was that it wasn't good enough to persuade potential viewers to ignore the critics and show up. Gunn has said that the door is open for any current DC star to continue in their roles (well, except for Henry Cavill), and director David F Sandberg explained that the sequel's performance will define whether we see the superhero again. It may sound simplistic to say that fans just want a good movie, rather than caring about whether something does or doesn't impact a franchise's future. However, as is often the case, the simplest answer is likely the most accurate one.

With a 68% drop, the DC sequel recorded the third-worst week-on-week drop behind Batman v Superman (69%) and The Suicide Squad (71%). But Batman v Superman was dropping from a much higher debut and The Suicide Squad was available to watch on HBO Max at the same time. The titular Shazam and has alter-ego Billy Batson feel like completely different characters. This is not unheard of for a superhero by any stretch, but when accompanied by a change of actor, it's a pretty jarring situation. I also have a hard time figuring out who the target demographic is with this thing. Seems all over the place. Perhaps if The Flash or Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom suffer as much as Shazam 2 has at the box office, we can re-assess whether it's the wider DC changes that impacted its chances.

Shazam 3 potential release date, cast and more - Digital Spy Shazam 3 potential release date, cast and more - Digital Spy

The timing of the sequel's release has put the future of the franchise, including Shazam 3, in an unclear territory. Shazam! Fury of the Gods' ending leaves room for another movie to happen and continue the adventures of Zachary Levi's DC hero. However, it is now up to DC Studios co-CEOs Peter Safran and James Gunn to determine if Shazam 3 will happen. Here is what is known about the movie's chances and what a Shazam! Fury of the Gods sequel could contain.The decision to include Amanda Waller and some of the Peacemaker cast in Shazam! Fury of the Gods suggests a potential future for the DC Universe version of Shazam and increases the chances for Shazam 3. We'd hope that means Marta Milans and Cooper Andrews will return as their foster parents Rosa and Victor Vásquez. Following the events of the sequel, Rachel Zegler could reprise her role as Anthea, who ended up getting close with Freddy.

Shazam 2 flopped at the box office - Digital Spy Why Shazam 2 flopped at the box office - Digital Spy

Shazam 3 has yet to be confirmed by Warner Bros and, right now, your guess is as good as ours as to whether it'll happen. The sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, has the honour of being the first DC movie released since James Gunn and Peter Safran's new era of the DC Universe began. However, it's that new era that has us sceptical as to whether Shazam will return. Even if the DCEU sequel had done well, the chances of its success carrying it into the DC Universe's canon for another movie is still questionable. This is because a DC Universe report stated in October 2023 that none of the Justice League stars would be returning with their original actors - and while Shazam isn't a member of the DCEU Justice League, this decision does suggest the franchise intends to start anew regarding its superhero castings, making it very unlikely that Zachary Levi or Asher Angel will be the DCU Shazam or Billy Batson, respectively.There is also the possibility that Shazam could appear in Peacemaker season 2 or Amanda Waller's HBO show next. Now that he has met Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee), the reunion on the HBO shows would make sense. Other options for Shazam's DC Universe future could include appearances in Superman: Legacy to bring him and the new Superman together, or possibly a comedic team-up with Booster Gold in the Booster Gold show. Key Release Dates For one 14-year-old boy, life can be a challenge sometimes. With all of the usual crises that accompany being an adolescent, foster kid Billy has some additional obstacles in life. A chance encounter with a mystical wizard completely changes everything. And it's not long before this boy discovers that one phrase grants him the ability to make a transformation into a superhero. In fact, it couldn't be easier. All Billy needs to do is shout "Shazam!" and then suddenly he morphs into an all-powerful superhero. But it turns out that possessing power doesn't necessarily make everything in life easier. Some DC fans might say that was always going to be the case anyway. There was already a feeling of 'does this even matter?' ahead of the sequel's release, what with James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC era on the horizon. If you are not able to join us in person, tune into an exclusive live stream of the event from approximately 6pm GMT on the @warnerbrosuk TikTok account and keep an eye on our @warnerbrosUK social channels for unprecedented behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the evening.