There is an update to one of our previous Shazam! stories. Earlier, we addressed that the DC film’s cast included members of Billy Batson’s foster family. The supposition they would become the Shazam Family we see in the comics starting with the New 52 was also suggested, but as a longterm plan.
Well, Warner may be getting to that development sooner than we thought. Toys tying into Shazam! and its release are on the market, and the line includes figures of Billy and his friends all powered up.
Photos of the figures hanging in the aisle of a chain store surfaced on Twitter. On display are super-powered Freddy, Pedro, Eugene, Mary, and Darla complete with costumes. Figurines of creatures that could be Dr. Sivana’s Deadly Sins accompany them.
MY BABIES ARE COMING pic.twitter.com/zeGaM1YEa3
— igor (@marywarvel) February 4, 2019
When DC continuity was revamped in 2011 with the New 52, the idea Billy could split up the power of SHAZAM among his friends when they all said the word was introduced. This wasn’t without precedent: Freddy became Captain Marvel, Jr., when he uttered the magic word as far back as the 50s. And Mary masqueraded as Mary Marvel on occasion.
Shazam! director David F. Sandberg said the New 52 would be a big influence on his story. On top of that, Warner has a habit of throwing as many Easter eggs into a superhero movie as possible, like they did with Aquaman. Between the realms of the sea beyond Atlantis and the two villains, there was enough material to pour into multiple movies.
Toys have a history of spoiling plots to movies before they come out whether it’s Marvel or DC. While that doesn’t mean Sandberg will go full bore into Shazam! as James Wan did with Aquaman, the chance of such is rather high.
Shazam!, pitting Billy (Zachary Levi, Asher Angel) and company (Grace Fulton, Jack Dylan Grazer, Ian Chen, Faith Herman, Jovan Armand) against the nefarious Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) and his Seven Deadly Sins, is out April 5th.