James Gunn Admits Having No Idea About DC Teaser Scene
The last year has seen DC go through a multitude of changes after James Gunn and Peter Safran took the reins. The pair has since shifted the direction of the franchise, but it was too late for the 2023 releases which were already set for their release dates without Gunn and Safran having any say in what stayed and what left.
Addressing the mind-baffling mid-credit scene in Shazam! Fury of the Gods on his Threads account (as per Yahoo! Entertainment), Gunn told fans that it was just as much of a surprise to him as it was for audiences.
Zachary Levi In Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The scene in question sees Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson receiving a job offer from Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee).
The offer was an extension from Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller to invite Billy to join the Justice Society. James Gunn says that, even though he “thought it was fun,” there will be no further follow-ups that would follow such a plotline.
Wasn’t Jame Gunn’s Call
James Gunn went on to explain that the scene “wasn’t my call” and that he wasn’t in any way involved in penning the script.
After all, its release date had already been set by the time he and Safran became co-leaders of DC Studios at the end of last year.
Adding that he has “no idea why those characters would be recruiting for the JS,” Gunn put the final nail in the coffin of there being any possibility that the storyline will show up somewhere down the line.
Shazam’s Hectic Filming
Although James Gunn had nothing to do with the mid-credit scene in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, it’s worth noting that the film’s director, David F. Sandberg has made statements surrounding Peter Safran’s very last-minute involvement.
It seems like things were hectic during those final days of post-production for Shazam 2 as, originally, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam was expected to make a cameo, with the creative team even building the set where the scene would take place.
No More Black Adam
Ultimately, the decision was made to move in a different direction, possibly having something to do with the foresight that Black Adam wouldn’t be involved in the next chapter of the franchise as he had previously been expected.
Whatever the real reason, James Gunn stands by his point that he had absolutely nothing to do with it and thought it was an unnecessary addition to the film – even if it was fun.
DC Issues
Shazam! Fury of the Gods kicked off what would be a very rocky year for DC Studios. Follow-up films, The Flash and Blue Beetle also had a choppy takeoff at the global box office.
The sprawling franchise seemed doomed until James Gunn and Peter Safran stepped in, completely revamping every nook and cranny.
Now, a slew of new titles are on the way, with many actors from over the last decade tossed to the side to pump fresh breath into a struggling universe.
James Gunn And DC
James Gunn has long been a fan-favorite director for Marvel, finishing his Guardians of the Galaxy series earlier this year.
Now, he’s completely cut ties with the MCU, beginning to get his hands dirty with DC via Superman: Legacy.
The film has already been building up an impressive call sheet with the likes of Nicholas Hoult and Nathan Fillion, with a release date set for July 11, 2025.
