After a lackluster Shazam: Fury Of The Gods premiere, the studio behind the film has released an alternate ending to the series’ first installment for viewers to watch for free. Alternate endings, previously available as paid content, allow for a smoother transition to the sequel.
Shazam! Wrath of the Gods is the sequel to 2019’s Shazam, an origin story based on the DC Comics superhero character of the same name. It tells the story of orphan Billy Batson, who is chosen by a powerful wizard to be his mortal champion, and when he utters the word Shazam, he gains the power of a god. The film is a hit, with action, comedy, emotional moments, and a message of finding family. Many viewers noticed Shazam! More depth than other DCEU films at the time, leading to a sequel film being green-lighted at Warner Bros.
Despite resistance, a sequel was originally expected, Shazam! At best, Wrath of the Gods underperformed expectations at the box office post-release. Still, fans visiting the official Warner Bros. Entertainment YouTube channel recently got to see an alternate ending to the more popular first film, with Billy and his new family emotionally fawning in front of a spectacular Christmas tree before heading off to relax And learn about the hostage situation that the kids fly off to settle. Director David F. Sandberg tweeted an explanation of the scene in 2019, saying, “An alternate ending was a backup we shot in case the final cameo couldn’t afford it role.” The bench morphs all the kids and flies away to prevent a hostage situation.
“Including deleted scenes always feels a little off. Not only are they cut for a reason, they’re also always very rough because work on them has stopped,” Sandberg added. “It’s kind of like giving a speech in underwear. I think it’s worth it because some people find it funny.” Although Sandberg doesn’t like the deleted scene, it’s a good one and tends to assert Shazam ! is a perfect Christmas movie.
And the gesture to release an alternate ending was exclusive to Shazam until now! The home media extra, appreciated by many, even renewed calls to keep the role in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU, which is unlikely to salvage the franchise. Except Shazam’s drama fails! Wrath of the Gods and the unspoken need for a clean break with the DCEU that came before it, the franchise omissions from DC’s roster announced by James Gunn means it could be a long time before fans see Shazam on the big screen again, if so.
Shazam: Wrath of the Gods is now in theaters.