Shazam!
WARNING : raider forrader forShazam !
Superman ’s big cameo at the end ofShazam!proves that the DCEU does n’t ask Henry Cavill as its Man of Steel . Kal - El , Last Son of Krypton , has had some bad press in the preceding few year , but it looks like things may be finally turn around .
Superman has always been one of the most paradoxical mainstream superheroes . He is one of the big name in comic books - only Spider - Man and Batman vie for the claim - and as the first spandex do - gooder undoubtedly the archetype from which all others flip ( indeed , Captain Marvel aka Shazamwas initially call off after DC action allege plagiarism ) . And yet making his stories translate to the big screen has prove hard . Superman : The Movieremains a highlight of the genre thanks to Christopher Reeve ’s enamor double execution , but that series went off the mysterious - conclusion into killer computing machine and atomic ataraxis messages .
link : DC Would Make A Mistake Leaving Superman Behind
Zack Snyder set about to reboot the eccentric in 2013’sMan of Steelwas a stripped back take in the vein ofThe Dark Knight(David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan consider the tarradiddle ) , but this Modern loop of hope was a tough Kryptionian tablet to swallow . This was compound with the ambitiousBatman v Superman : Dawn of Justice , before a brash form correction of the character with major reshoots ( and CG upper lips ) inJustice Leaguefinally wore out interest .
In the wake of that corner billet disaster , it would be easy to resolve that audiences were shopworn of Superman , at least the iteration first bring in to biography by Henry Cavill . The DCEU is moving into a raw , more interesting future that puts focus on breakout star Wonder Woman and Aquaman , but withThe Batmanlikely a prequel and Idris Elba not , as initially reported , replacing Will Smith as Deadshot inThe Suicide Squad , some persistence concerns persist . And so what can DC do other than bench the Man of Steel ? Well , Shazam!has the result .
Is Henry Cavill Out As Superman?
Before getting into whatShazam!introduces , it ’s worth establishing what exactly is going on withHenry Cavill as Superman . His more ground , obsess iteration was at the center of criticisms forMan of Steeland most certainlyBatman v Superman , to the point many question what his selfless sacrifice at the close ofDawn of Justicereally meant . As a result , Justice League ’s reshootswere heavy focussed on lightening him up ( Danny Elfman even used the John Williams score ) , but that was n’t enough to right the damage .
Last year , it was reported that , after protracted contract negotiations , Cavill was no longer going to be Superman . The specifics were indecipherable , but it was alleged that his party and Warner Bros. disagree about the actor and fictitious character ’s importance to the franchise going fore . Both side refute the rumblings while not out - right deny them ; WB said thatno Superman task were in developmentbut the relationship was warm , and Cavill and his agent sharedcryptic social media posts .
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Already we ’ve seen Ben Affleck step down as Batman , while Ezra Miller is reportedly making one last exertion to getThe Flashmovie off the dry land , so it looks like Cavill is just one of many casualties from Snyder’sJustice League .
alternatively , the future of Kryptonians in the DCEU look to have shifted , with aSupergirlscript take priority overMan of Steel 2 . While there ’s not been much word on that of late , that theupcoming DC Films slateis now somewhat full up to 2022 shows how low a priority the Superman currently come out to be , at least with the current Cavill position quo .
Shazam’s Superman Cameo Is A Result Of The Cavill Issues
Which brings us toSuperman ’s cameo inShazam , something that had been rumour as former asJanuary 2018 . The second itself is a jolly big mint work up up through the write up . Freddy want to flirt up his friendship with Shazam , so promise he ’ll visit school for luncheon , to which his tough jokily expect if Superman will join too . So , of course , when Billy comes through for his supporter at the end , he bring with him his Justice League crony .
In the plastic film , Superman is only shown from the neck down , with Zachary Levi ’s stunt double , andnot Henry Cavillin the lawsuit . But rather than cutting around the actor , this decision actually comes from the want of Cavill : Shazam!director David F. Sandberg toldScreen Rantthat the scene come out of that limitation , with a more humorous way to include the reference needed to get around the lack of recognizable star power .
Read More : Shazam ’s Superman Cameo Could Have Been Henry Cavill
While that is on its own a rather gracious example of improvisational filmmaking , it attest a planned manipulation of Superman that get word him develop beyond Henry Cavill .
Page 2 of 2 : How Superman ’s Shazam Cameo Moves Past Cavill
Shazam’s Superman Cameo Finally Makes The Man of Steel An Icon
In one joke prospect at the conclusion of the motion picture , Shazam!does more to cement Superman as a beacon of Leslie Townes Hope than the three movies that in reality starred him ( and a fourth inSuicide Squadframing the formation of Task Force X as a result of his death ) . There ’s no confusion of what he means to people , what that " S " stands for . Superman is an icon and people love him . By removing the indecipherable conflict - which was n’t a bad approaching per se but its murder got in the way of the character - suddenly Superman is amply formed .
This reframing of the DC heroes has been consort throughoutShazam ! , with Freddy ’s unembarrassed enthusiasm for Supes , Bats , Aquaman and the rest literally the same as real - life fans of the characters . Shazam becomes a hero model after the preexisting ones , who have now so permeated popular culture they ’re merchandised . Rather than bridge over the real world and the fantastical as inZack Snyder ’s DC films , Shazam!just accepts and runs with it .
But these are n’t the DCEU hero explicitly . The Batman toys look and voice more like Kevin Conroy ’s animated version than Ben Affleck ’s brutalizer . And while Easter eggs citation theKryptonian World Engine , the Superman who eventually appears sports a brighter suit with a more obvious scarlet belt and , perceptibly , does n’t show his head on camera . These move us from the person in the lawsuit to the champion they truly represent .
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The DCEU’s Superman Is Bigger Than Henry Cavill
If you could have a import like this where Superman can live and capture what the hero instills in people without the histrion , then why does the DCEU need to hold back for contract issues to be sorted?Henry Cavill no longer represents this Superman , and that it can work without him is proven inShazam!Supermanisa beacon to the universe because he ’s Superman .
And while this is just a heedful side - stepping for complications well beyond theShazam!filmmakers ' ascendence , it moves us nearer to a recast . While there were certainly express joy at the open avoidance and question over what it means , the permeating subject matter is that audiences can and have disjoint Superman from Henry Cavill . If he and DC can make it work , then great , but there ’s no need to hold over such a mellow - potential , flat - out icon character just for these grounds .
Even if there ’s noMan of Steel 2(orThe Superman , come after DC ’s recent modification in terminology ) , a law of continuation through cameos akin to Iron Man inPhase 3 Marvel movieswould be a complete way to extend Superman ’s range rehabilitation . It ’s just a shame D.J. Cotrona is already tied up …
Next : Shazam Makes Up For George Miller ’s go Justice League Movie
