Products You May Like
The connection between the Annabelle/Conjuring Universe and the DC Extended Universe is growing stronger with each passing film. Not only are the two franchises sharing directors like James Wan and David Sandberg, but that creepy doll Annabelle keeps popping up in DC big-screen adventures. Wan included her in Aquaman, and now Asher Angel confirms that she pops up in Shazam!, as well.
CinemaBlend met up with Angel at San Diego Comic-Con, as the young Billy Batson promoted the Blu-ray and DVD release of David Sandberg’s superhero origin story. And when we brought up the concept of Easter eggs that fans can look for in the backgrounds of certain Shazam! scenes, he dropped a bombshell on us.
Yes, David F. Sandberg directed the Annabelle prequel, Annabelle: Creation, before shifting gears to the DC superhero universe. But I love that he, like James Wan, is going out of his way to include the demonic doll in the backgrounds of their DC efforts, furthering the notion that the two universes actually blend together at different parts.
They won’t. Well, I guess they could. Especially if James Gunn goes full bore into the horror genre with The Suicide Squad. Which is possible.
Back to Shazam! Asher Angel was in San Diego to help raise awareness for the release of the superhero origin story on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s currently available in all formats, meaning that tonight, you guys can grab a copy and scour the backgrounds of scenes for additional references. I know for a fact that Sandberg peppered tons of DC superhero nods throughout, calling out Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, to flesh out Billy Batson’s presence in the DC universe.
In Shazam!, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is an orphan who is searching for his birth mother. Though that search has been fruitless up to this point, Batson lands with a friendly Philadelphia family eager to take him under their wing. But on a subway ride away from bullies, Billy is also tapped by an ancient wizard, and given the powers of Shazam.
In that moment, when Billy transforms, Angel switches places with Zachary Levi, who co-stars in the origin story. There are significant teases for a Shazam! sequel in the end credits of Sandberg’s film. But when we spoke with Asher Angel, he didn’t have details on a sequel, or when production could begin on it.
As for Shazam!, it’s currently available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others, as well as digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers.