Shazam: Fury of the Gods was initially meant to be a June 2023 release, but was moved up to December 2022 as Warner Bros. decided to delay Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Flash. While fans were excited about the early release date, the studio was not ready to open the much-awaited DC film on the same day as Avatar: The Way of Water. Shazam fans will now be able to see their favorite hero return to the big screen on December 21, 2022.

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After the release date of Shazam: Fury of the Gods was officially moved, director David F. Sandberg had a great response that he posted on Twitter. Sharing a link to a Deadline article about the film’s delay, Sandberg joked, “You’re welcome Cameron!” He took the joke further by adding a comment to ensure that there was “no need for thanks,” and asked Cameron for a 4K Blu-ray copy of The Abyss in return. The sci-fi film was released in 1989 and directed by Cameron.

The delay in release date means that Shazam: Fury of the Gods will release just in time for the Christmas weekend, which could work in its favor because it could potentially draw in the theater-going crowds. The other film releasing on the same day is Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It seems like the right move to have the Shazam sequel’s release pushed by one week, as it avoids a massive box office battle between two films that have high fan expectations associated with them.

The hype for the Avatar sequel has increased ever since the first official trailer of Avatar: The Way of Water was screened at CinemaCon on Wednesday. The trailer has not been released for global viewing just yet and will premiere in theaters along with Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite that, Avatar fans who have been waiting for the sequel for over a decade now have their calendars marked for the Sully family’s return to the big screen.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods premieres in theaters on December 21, 2022.

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Source: David F. Sandberg/Twitter