Asher Angel Wants These DC Characters To Appear In Future Shazam! Films [Comic-Con]

So far, "Shazam!" is a pretty self-contained DC Extended Universe — but if Asher Angel gets his way, that could change. Angel, who plays Billy Batson, appeared at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 to promote his upcoming film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." This, along with other upcoming projects like "Black Adam" and "The Flash" (assuming it still releases as planned), are all part of the DC Extended Universe: The 2019 hit "Shazam!" featured a surprise Superman cameo at the end with Henry Cavill's version of the costume (though not Cavill himself), establishing that these films exist in the same fictional universe. 

Yet, Billy and his super-powered adoptive siblings have yet to be mentioned or referenced in other properties. The tone and content of "Shazam!" is admittedly much lighter than other projects, and "Justice League" (the most likely candidate to include a Shazam cameo) came out before Angel's superhero debut. Plus, the movies that have been released since 2019 — like "Birds of Prey" and "The Suicide Squad" — are pretty mature. It's hard to imagine teenage Billy getting out of those situations unscathed, both physically and emotionally.     

So will Billy and his team every rub elbows with other DC heroes? 

/Film's own Ryan Scott had the chance to talk directly with Angel at SDCC. The actor has some thoughts on what other DC characters wold fit in with the world of "Shazam!": 

"I would love to see an interaction with Aquaman and Shazam. I think that would be really fun. And not to throw it out there, but I think the Joker's really cool. Joaquin Phoenix is amazing in that. Just throwing out some ideas!"

I personally would not have predicted a "Joker" and "Shazam!" crossover in the DCEU future, but color me intrigued!

When asked how long he sees himself playing Billy in the DCEU, Angel responded with enthusiastic optimism:

"Look, the future is bright. I think there's so much left for Billy and the character in his arc and his life and his story. So I guess we'll see what the future looks like."

At just shy of 20 years of age, Angel indeed has a bright future ahead of him. Although "Shazam!" received some mixed reviews, it was a box office hit. The story is admittedly a bit weak — the Seven Deadly Sins and Dr. Thaddeus Sivana aren't especially compelling villains — but the dynamic between Billy and his loved ones, and the comedic timing of Zachary Levi as the "adult-form" Billy, make "Shazam!" effortlessly entertaining and easily the most rewatchable DCEU entry. Unlike some of the darker entries, "Shazam!" is the kind of movie you can throw on a Saturday afternoon, over and over again.

Here's to hoping that "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" isn't Billy's last onscreen appearance.

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" arrives in theaters on December 21, 2022.