'Shazam' Won't Be Involved with a 'Justice League' Movie

Warner Bros. had been pursuing Dwayne Johnson for a role in their burgeoning superhero universe for years, and finally he confirmed his role will be as the antihero/villain Black Adam in a Shazam movie. There's still no director attached, nor an actor to play the heroic Captain Marvel, but with a writer on board in Darren Lemke (Jack the Giant Slayer), it seems things have progressed enough that execs are free to talk about their plans. Toby Emmerich, who heads up Warner Bros.' New Line banner handling the film, tells EW that Shazam may be separate from Justice League in more ways than one.

Emmerich: "It feels to me like Shazam will have a tone unto itself. It’s a DC comic, but it’s not a Justice League character, and it’s not a Marvel comic. The tone and the feeling of the movie will be different from the other range of comic book movies."

This comes after some rumors surfaced that Warner Bros. has a "no jokes" policy when it comes to their superhero movies. Basically it sounds like Shazam will be more adventurous and fun than what Man of Steel had to offer, and different than the grim 'n gritty Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice appears to be. 

Emmerich: [Shazam] "will have a sense of fun and a sense of humor. But the stakes have to be real. … Black Adam is a complex character. The villain in superhero movies is often, I think, what makes the movie. And I thought Dwayne’s take on the character, and the way that he saw Black Adam, was really compelling and fun."

It would also be a chance to see Johnson play the bad guy for the first time in a long while. His character Luke Hobbs in Fast Five was the antagonist but was ultimately on the side of the law, and that may be the sweet spot he goes for in portraying Black Adam. Overall it sounds like we won't be seeing Shazam as part of any Justice League movie, and may not be a part of that universe at all. I think the temptation to have Johnson cross over into other movies will prove too great.