CAUTION: This article contains spoilers for Shazam!
Just as Aquaman‘s box office and critical success spurred a sequel and a spin-off, New Line and DC’s Shazam! has garnered enough in-house support for its own cinematic continuation. According to Deadline, the studio has confirmed that screenwriter Henry Gayden will be returning to write to Shazam! sequel. What’s more, director David F. Sandberg and producer Peter Safran are also expected to return to the project. But what about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson‘s long-gestating Black Adam film and character?
If you’ve seen Shazam!, then you know that the post-credits scene sees the villainous Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong), who’s now in prison, conversing with an intelligent caterpillar about a possible alliance. Said caterpillar was teased throughout the film’s chronology without little explanation, but longtime DC Comics readers will know that it’s actually the supervillain Mister Mind, a giant alien worm with incredibly strong telepathic and mind control abilities.
Obviously, Gayden, Sandberg and Safran wouldn’t have gone through all of that trouble to set up Mister Mind for the Shazam! sequel, only to decide not to use the character. The thing is, fellow producer Dwayne Johnson also has a stake in bringing another one of the titular hero’s antagonists to life. The wrestler turned actor has been talking about making a Black Adam film for years, and now that Shazam! has had a successful opening weekend, it sounds like Johnson’s wish is going to come true.
In a video posted to his Instagram account on Sunday, Johnson thanked his fans for turning out to see Shazam! in theaters. He also explained that the film’s success meant that he could finally make his Black Adam movie with New Line and DC and, perhaps, pit his villain (and potential anti-hero) against Zachary Levi’s magically superpowered teenager:
“Those who know the comic books and the mythology of Shazam knows that Shazam is connected to Black Adam. Black Adam is an anti-hero, or villain, who I cannot wait to play. I’ve been developing this, and it’s been with me in my DNA for over 10 years. We should start shooting that in about a year. I’m very excited about that.”
Of course, whether or not Johnson’s Egyptian gods-powered being will end up squaring off with the hero in the Shazam! sequel remains to be seen.
(Via Deadline)