WARNING: This post contains Shazam! Fury of the Gods SPOILERS!
Shazam: Fury of the Gods drops a subtle hint at an upcoming DC Universe movie, making it the first time a DCEU film sets up a DCU installment. Shazam: Fury of the Gods is one of the last releases from Warner Bros.’ original era of the DC Universe as the franchise gets ready to reboot and give way to the first chapter in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU, “Gods and Monsters.” With the canon status of characters such as Zachary Levi’s Shazam and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman up in the air, any signs of a possible return to the DCU are helpful to understand the DC Universe’s future.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods focuses on being a standalone sequel to Shazam!. Yes, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman makes a cameo and brings Billy Batson back to life, but she doesn’t take away Billy’s role as the main hero of the story. Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ self-contained story makes it easy for the next era of the DC Universe to incorporate him into the new continuity, and Billy Batson and his family are left eager to continue their heroic adventures in the future. Besides, the first Shazam: Fury of the Gods post-credits scene provides the first step towards the birth of the new DC Universe.
Shazam 2’s Credits Scene Sets Up 1 James Gunn DC Movie: The Authority
When Peacemaker stars Emilia Harcourt and John Economos ask Shazam to join the Justice Society, Shazam wonders if there’s a better name for the superhero team that would help them stand out from the Justice League lineup. Shazam googles synonyms for the word “society” and proposes the name “the Justice Authority.” In real-life dictionaries, “society” and “authority” are quite disconnected, but Shazam’s choice of words has a specific purpose: they’re a subtle nod at the DCU’s upcoming ensemble movie The Authority, which will be part of the first chapter of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU franchise.
Shazam’s mention of “authority” sounds like a coincidence from his perspective, but if Amanda Waller’s team survives the DC Universe reboot brought on by The Flash, Emilia Harcourt and John Economos could know a thing or two about The Authority. After all, they are able to acquire intel on characters like Black Adam, Shazam, and the most obscure Suicide Squad members more easily than Batman himself. So far, however, the only reference to The Authority is this subtle nod in the first Shazam: Fury of the Gods post-credits scene.
Who Are The Authority In The DC Comics?
Like the Justice League and the Justice Society, the Authority is a team of DC superheroes who join forces to fight crime. But unlike DC’s most famous superhero teams, the members of the Authority are willing to resort to extreme methods and break the law in order to enforce their idea of justice. Composed of seven members and one living HQ, The Authority has made a name for itself as a highly efficient superhero team. They aren’t Earth’s first choice whenever a major threat arrives, but they have saved the world multiple times throughout the years.
Originally, The Authority used to be set in its own separate universe given that it belonged to WildStorm, a DC Comics subsidiary comic book print. However, DC’s “New 52” reboot caused by the 2011 Flashpoint event brought The Authority into the main DC continuity. Similarly, The Flash‘s multiversal events are expected to bring a franchise-wide reboot to the big-screen DC Universe, which will place them alongside characters like Batman, Superman, and Swamp Thing in the near future.
Everything We Know About The Authority Movie
As of Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ release, information about The Authority is limited. The Authority‘s live-action adaptation is part of “Gods and Monsters,” the first chapter in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe. It will release alongside movies like the James-Gunn-directed Superman: Legacy, Batman’s first DCU appearance, The Brave and The Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and Swamp Thing, as well as shows such as Creature Commandos, Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and Booster Gold. The Authority could also return after their film debut both in live-action and in animated form, following James Gunn’s promise of a multimedia franchise.
DC’s The Authority movie may follow James Gunn’s pattern of transforming lesser-known superhero teams from the comics into A-list blockbusters, which he did in 2014 with the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy and continued with DC’s The Suicide Squad. However, James Gunn is unlikely to direct it, as he will be too busy overseeing the entire DCU and both writing and directing Superman: Legacy. Still, Gunn’s input as producer guarantees a proper live-action translation of the characters, following a similar formula to Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad but possibly adopting a unique tone and directorial style.
Will Shazam Appear In The Authority Movie?
Shazam hasn’t interacted with any member of The Authority in DC Comics yet, and the nod at the team in Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ post-credits scene doesn’t create a strong connection between them to guarantee a future crossover. What this post-credits scene does suggest is Shazam’s possible crossover with DC’s Justice Society team, which could help Billy Batson and his family survive the DC Universe’s upcoming reboot. Allowing Shazam: Fury of the Gods‘ post-credits scenes to appear in theaters after confirming an imminent reboot suggests that their set-ups are still valid afterward.
Still, the possibility of a crossover between Shazam and The Authority is always possible. After all, Justice League teased a bigger team with Bruce Wayne’s suggestion of more spots in the Hall of Justice, but the Justice League never got the chance to extend an offer to new heroes like Shazam or Martian Manhunter. Likewise, Shazam could end up crossing paths with The Authority before he meets the Justice Society. It all depends on whether Shazam becomes part of James Gunn’s DC Universe officially after the events of Shazam: Fury of the Gods and The Flash.
Key Release Dates
