A ‘Shazam!’ Producer Promises That Batman And The Joker Can Still Have A Dark Tone

Warner Bros.

It would be fair to say that the DCEU is in flux. After years of Zack Snyder’s dark-and-gritty takes, especially the drag of Justice League, both Aquaman and Shazam! are overwhelming this joint with badassery and pure joy, respectively speaking, and (gasp) there are jokes to be had. Even Suicide Squad, which fully embraced the ridiculous with blob-people bad guys, was a lot of fun (even if, ultimately, it was not a good movie), and Birds Of Prey looks to be embracing a similar, albeit empowered, vibe. It’s a refreshing phase after so much doom and gloom and, honestly, a lot like Marvel movies, but is it simply a phase?

That is to say, what will happen when the DCEU circles back to Batman and the Joker (outside of Todd Phillips’ Joker origin story, which will exist outside the DCEU) and Superman? In a red-carpet discussion with with IGN (and via Screenrant), Shazam! producer Peter Safran notes that Aquaman and Shazam! success won’t dictate the overall tone of the DCEU:

“I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character. Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam is fun and funny. Wonder Woman’s got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie.

“Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them. It’s what you really want to see.”

Obviously, the tone concern exists but isn’t too pressing, given that Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill have left the Warner Bros. building (no replacements exist yet), and Jared Leto’s all tied up with Morbius for Sony, but the question still stood. Safran believes that the DCEU will continue being as dark as it requires and won’t fully go Marvel in tone. That’s a relief because context matters, obviously, and an exuberant Batman would be, well, weird. With time, comic book fans may also miss some moodiness, but perhaps a little less grittiness wouldn’t hurt. In addition, Wonder Woman 1984 will arrive on June 5, 2020 and apparently includes a mall food court setting, so there’s potential there for some lightness. Or garishness, take your pick.

Check out Uproxx’s own recent interview with Safran, which includes the reason why the Shazam! superhero can’t be called by his own name.

(Via IGN & Screenrant)

×