Shazam and Black Adam spark new hope for DC at San Diego Comic Con 2022

As this weekend’s San Diego Comic Con 2022 releases sending a barrage of consecutive dopamine hits for comic fans across the world with Marvel Studios coming out guns blazing with a slew of new announcements, the DCEU countered with two of its biggest upcoming projects at the event this weekend, with Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam releasing trailers at the event. 

The Warner Brothers-helmed DC Extended Universe of the DCEU, a direct competitor to its Marvel Comics counterpart, has two heavy-hitting titles to add to its evolving cinematic universe. Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a sequel to our first introduction to the titular character in 2019; as well as Black Adam, the newest addition to the DC super-character roster.

What you need to know about Shazam: Picking up from the events of the previous installment, Shazam! Fury of the Gods follows its young protagonist, Billy Batson, as he struggles to come to terms with his powers that have been bestowed upon him and his family of foster children by a powerful wizard. 

Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, possesses the magical ability to transform into the muscular Shazam, played by Zachary Levi, when saying the word ‘Shazam’ out loud. The powerful superhero teams up with his family of foster children to take down yet another big-baddie of the DC Universe. 

What's new: Although he possesses "the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury", the wise-cracking Shazam, is not immune to the odd therapy session, as he’s seen ranting out his share of teenage angst in the new trailer.

The new cast: The new film features a recurring cast of characters including Freddy (Jack Grazer) and the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Honsou), alongside Billy’s foster family and their superhero alter-egos. It also features newcomers to the franchise, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu’s Hespera and Kalypso, the villainous immortals that Shazam and his team are up against.

Amid the usual suspects of your average superhero flick trailer - muscular heroes flying through explosions, an entire truck being tossed at a dragon and a hilarious Fast & the Furious reference - all set to an upbeat Eminem soundtrack, the trailer also features a creepy cameo in a blink-and-miss moment.

A creepy cameo: The infamous demonic ‘Annabelle’ doll from James Wan’s Conjuring franchise makes an appearance in the backdrop of the pediatric clinic in the trailer, a little easter-egg tradition set in motion by Shazam director David F Sandberg in the first Shazam film, followed by Wan himself in his DCEU production, Aquaman. 

All smiles at #SDCC! #ShazamMovie pic.twitter.com/ugJIj0ldvK

— Shazam! Fury of the Gods (@ShazamMovie) July 23, 2022

While Shazam feels like a much needed breath of fresh air in the middle of the doom and gloom attached to the otherwise grim DC Comics adaptations, the second DCEU announcement at SDCC 2022 introduces us to a darker character of the universe. 

Enter The Rock: Black Adam, the latest hunk added to the DCEU’s super roster, is an anti-hero figure bestowed with the powers of the Egyptian gods who has returned after being entombed for 5,000 years to serve justice as he deems fit. And who better than the closest physical embodiment to an actual superhero to play the character than ‘The Rock’, Dwayne Johnson himself.

While both Shazam and Black Adam share similar origins and have often been pitted against each other in the original source material, Black Adam has often been depicted as the more durable, stronger wielder of godly power. The trailer features Dwayne Johnson, dressed in skin-tight spandex, as per superhero tradition, with each hulking pound of muscle on his body more prominent with every passing frame. 

The trailer also features former-007 agent Pierce Brosnan as he plays Doctor Fate, DC’s mysterious, prophecy-seeing version of Marvel’s Dr Strange, as well as Sarah Shahi as Isis and Aldis Hodgeman as Hawkman, up against the anti-hero. 

The film announcement took SDCC by storm as Dwayne Johnson himself showed up for the film’s announcement dressed in character as the imposing Black Adam. “It’s a dream come true to be here,” said the former WWE Heavyweight champ as he spoke at the Hall-H panel. 

The Rock’s powerful #SDCC entrance as #BlackAdam

(via: @Variety) pic.twitter.com/vqXRTW0uWN

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 23, 2022

“It’s a dream come true to be here” : Dwayne Johnson on being at Comic-Con for #BlackAdam #SDCC pic.twitter.com/DQ3fn6NiqX

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) July 23, 2022

A lot at stake: With a steady decline in the responses from recent DCEU releases, a lot hinges on the success of the two films. The studio also has the DC Fan Dome coming up later this year where we’re expected to hear news from the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash.

Black Adam hits theatres worldwide on October 21, 2022 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods is slated for a December 21, 2022 release.