Any superhero film’s post-credit scene usually teases the direction of the follow-up. Perhaps it will be repaid in the very next movies sometimes the post-credit sequence is pointless, such as when Henry Cavill played Superman towards the end of Black Adam, or when he appeared in the end credits of Shazam! only to never return as Superman. The upcoming DCU film Shazam: Fury of the Gods continues on the same path and ignores the tease by the mid-credit scenes of Shazam!
Shazam! Screenwriter explains why they ditched Fan Favorite Master Mind
The Daughters of Atlas, played by Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and Rachel Zegler, are the major antagonists in Shazam: Fury of the Gods, as we can see from the trailers. With no sign of Master Mind who made an appearance in the mid-credit scene of the first film that is Shazam!, the writer comes to the rescue justifying why it is so.
In the mid-credits sequence of Shazam!, Dr. Sivana is imprisoned and he gets approached by a caterpillar which to no one’s surprise is Mister Mind. CinemaBlend spoke to Henry Gayden the man credited for the script of the first Shazam! as well as its sequel, he claims to have a rationale behind the mid-credit scene of the 2019 film.
“There was a long period of developing it and going down various alleys, like who the villain is, Sivana, Mister Mind, all these things that we did. But the one core thing that was there from the jump after the first movie was (that) the next story for Billy is, now that he has a family, how does he behave? And it is, now that he has it, he’s terrified to lose it.”
The screenwriter delved into the nitty-gritty of how Shazam! Fury of the Gods was planned and envisioned, having Master Mind as the villain did not fit the story they wanted to tell. It is quite unfortunate as the audience’s reception of the villain was positive.
The Daughter of Atlas is a better villain than Master Mind
Henry Gayden explains that every film is thought out and planned in-depth. For the sequel of Shazam! The Daughter of Atlas serves as a better villain than Master Mind. They initially tried to weave Dr. Sivana into the story but all their attempts were in vain. The writer resumed,
“It was a few months. And it was really fun. But what ended up happening is it felt redundant with the first movie. Because despite Mister Mind being a fascinating new edition, it still was a lot of Sivana and Billy, and it didn’t feel like it was telling an emotional next installment. It just felt like it was telling the natural next installment, action-wise.”
Henry Gayden continues,
“So emotionally, when we got to the sisters and the Daughters of Atlas, it was about like, ‘How do we get these powers? Do we deserve them?’ Questioning that, and telling that story was much more compelling than continuing the Sivana story right now. That’s not to say they were in the future. And I had to take… one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, which I wrote for the Sivana drafts. But I think, ultimately, this emotionally was the best story to tell.”
The Zachary Levi starrer Shazam! Fury of the Gods follows Billy Batson’s journey from adolescence to becoming Shazam, an adult superhero. The adult with a family, superpowers and the need to defend his existence while battling some incredibly dangerous villains will be the heart of the sequel.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will release on 17 March 2023
Source: CinemaBlend
