Dwayne Johnson Rejected Shazam! Fury of the Gods post-credits scene, confirmed by Zachary Levi

Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi has endorsed and shared a report on Instagram, which claimed Dwayne Johnson blocked a post-credits scene in the film. The report alleged that Johnson wanted to put himself at the center of the DC Universe, attempting to restructure it and sabotaging other plans for the studio. The scrapped post-credits scene in Shazam! Fury of the Gods originally reportedly saw Billy Batson get recruited by the Justice Society of America (JSA). However, director David F. Sandberg confirmed that the scene “collapsed three days before” the crew started rolling the cameras.

“So Peter Safran, who produced this film and Peacemaker, made a few calls and luckily Jen Holland and Steve Agee were able to come on short notice,” director Sandberg told The Hollywood Reporter, of the oddly placed mid-credits scene. A report in TheWrap also alleges that Johnson, who lobbied for a standalone entry for Black Adam, canceled a potential cameo from Levi’s Shazam! in the movie. The scene was replaced with a Henry Cavill Superman cameo, which Johnson intended to develop further into a heavyweight bout between the two. This led to Cavill’s reintegration into the DC Universe in October, followed by his eventual departure, as James Gunn and Safran joined the board to co-run DC Studios. Gunn announced a massive overhaul of his vision for the DCU last month, involving a young Superman, though it’s not an origin story. Titled “Superman: Legacy,” the film is slated for release on July 11, 2025, with Gunn serving as writer and director.

These plans made no mention of black adam – effectively killing any chance of a sequel. However, Gunn will “continue to explore the most valuable ways” to utilize the character in future DC Multiverse Chapters. While Levi’s Shazam doesn’t contradict DC’s future plans, seeing the opening weekend box office numbers for DC’s latest film, things remain uncertain. Shazam 2 only grossed $65.5 million (about Rs. 541 crore) at the global box office, while earning a 51% review rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Director Sandberg said earlier this week that he’s “done with superheroes for now” and can’t wait to get back to his horror roots. Filmmaker noted, however, that if enough people watched Shazam! Fury of the Gods in theaters, there’s a chance the character will win in the new DCU.

Meanwhile, star Levi pinned Shazam 2’s box office disappointment on Warner Bros. marketing campaign. “…I think the biggest problem we have is marketing. It’s a perfect family movie, and yet a lot of families don’t know it. Which is just a shame,” he said. replied to a fan on Twitter. The first Shazam! The film not only earned $366 million (about Rs. 3,025 crore) at the global box office but was also praised by critics and audiences. Passing through Rotten Tomatoes – which director Sandberg seems to prefer – the 2017 film earned a score of 90% from critics and 82% from general audiences.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now in theaters around the world. In India, Shazam 2 is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

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