There are many things one can miss from a trailer, and considering a comic book property is so rich in lore, it can be overwhelming to try and find it all. Shazam! Fury of the Gods has some great easter eggs and detailed background work that may be missed on the initial viewing of the trailer, which promises more fun for the whole Shazam family.
7 S Is For Starro
The last DCEU movie to hit theatres was James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in 2021. The film featured an abundance of comedy, gore, and spectacle. It’s been a while since DC fans received a window into the cinematic universe, as The Batman has its universe to explore. However, Shazam! Fury of the Gods does a great, yet subtle job of connecting the two films.
In the office of the pediatrician, keen-eyed fans of DC’s properties will spot an alphabet board, where S is for “Starro”, with a drawing of the purple starfish with a singular eye. Starro was the central antagonist to The Suicide Squad, and it’s great to see the worlds of Shazam! and The Suicide Squad connected, even if it’s a “blink, and you’ll miss it” moment.
6 Fast And The Furious
The first Shazam! seeks to show audiences the importance of family, and how siblings and parents don’t have to always be blood-related. The film does a great job of making a foster family feel wholesome and adoring. Shazam! Fury of the Gods, certainly follows this trend, with Billy Batson and his brothers and sisters all exhibiting the power of SHAZAM.
One of the villains in the movie, the daughter of Atlas, is played by Helen Mirren. Mirren’s credentials speak for themselves, but she is also a member of the Fast and the Furious franchise, something that Billy Batson refers to when he calls for the importance of his own family.
5 Annabelle Doll
David F. Sandberg made his directorial debut with Lights Out, a chilling horror feature. Sandberg then helmed the next entry into the demonic Annabelle franchise, Annabelle: Creation, which housed a creepy-looking doll with possessive powers to cause harm to others. This doll, despite its horror nature, seems to fit right in with the Wonder Woman plush toys in the trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Annabelle can be seen sitting at a play set table in the pediatrician’s office, an ode to Sandberg’s Annabelle movie. The doll was also featured in the first Shazam! Hopefully, this doll is nothing more than an easter egg, as Billy Batson has enough on his plate. Dealing with a demonic doll would just be a further concern.
4 Doctor Sivana’s Staff
The main antagonist in the first Shazam! film was Doctor Thaddeus Sivana. This character has a rich history with the magical elements of DC, but more importantly, Shazam himself. He was a vengeful scientist, obsessed over magic and chaos for the world. Currently, Sivana is residing in a prison cell, drawing frantically on the walls. It is unknown if the character will make a resurgence for the sequel.
In the trailer, fans can spot Shazam walking away with Sivana’s staff. Technically this staff was the Wizard’s, but considering the staff was stolen by Sivana and the Wizard died, it’s safe to say that it’s technically Sivana’s. It’s unknown the use Billy will have for the staff, but considering it gave his brothers and sisters powers, it can be assumed that he has a plan.
3 Resurrection Of The Wizard
The Wizard knew to some as Shazam resided in the otherworldly lair of the Rock of Eternity. Here, the Wizard watched over his enemies, the deadly sins, as well as waited many years for a champion worthy of incredible power. The Wizard found such worthiness in the heart of Billy Batson and died shortly after naming his new champion since his mistake of Black Adam.
It’s unknown how the Wizard now lives, but he is seen in multiple scenes throughout the trailer, and even provides Billy with some much-needed guidance and clarity. The Wizard has been known to help Billy as a ghost, so it will be interesting to see if he plays a role similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy.
2 Cape Mistake
As detailed by the film’s director in a YouTube video breakdown, David F. Sandberg revealed a harmless flaw in the trailer. Using his YouTube platform under the name Ponysmasher, Sandberg explained trailers and the many talents behind films and their visual effects. Sandberg takes the time to point out a wire stunt in which the team forgot to add Shazam’s cape back into the shot.
This is a detail that many would not notice, and Sandberg brings attention to it just to prove that point, in the hopes that people will be less picky when it comes to pausing a scene and examining it for mistakes, especially when the film is not even out yet.
1 Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Shazam! Fury of the Gods further proves that the film is set within the DCEU. Not only does it do this by mentioning Aquaman, The Flash, and Batman, but it further adds solidity that the DCEU has retconned 2017’s Justice League in favor of the more recent original intention from director Zack Snyder, with Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Fans have deduced that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is canon due to the shots used in the trailer for The Flash and Batman. These quick shots are taken from Zack Snyder’s film and not the 2017 version. This is noted by the color grading. Many fans of the Snydercut movement have wanted the film to be introduced into the canon, and perhaps they will have their prayers answered soon enough.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens internationally on December 15 2022 and in North America on December 21, 2022.
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