Warner Bros. big San Diego Comic Con presentation doesn’t happen until the weekend, but there are already some details fans are speculating over. First and foremost, many are wondering what movies will fill out the mystery 2020 dates on the DC Films calendar. It’s almost certain “Wonder Woman 2” will be one of them, but before we get that far, another long planned movie may be arriving first.
THR reveals that “Shazam!” will be the next movie out of the gate for DC Films, with production slated to start in early 2018 with David Sandberg (“Lights Out,” “Annabelle: Creation“) directing. This could mean it hits its long ago announced release date of April 5, 2019, or takes one of the positions for 2020. That probably all depends on the status of pictures like “Suicide Squad 2,” which is aiming to shoot in the middle of 2018, “The Flash” (which still needs a director), or Joss Whedon‘s “Batgirl” (which he won’t be able to think about until he’s all done taking “Justice League” over the finish line).
Perhaps the most curious part of all this is the involvement, or lack thereof, of Dwayne Johnson. Earlier this year, it was revealed that The Rock had been slotted in the villain role of Black Adam, with plans for his own spinoff film. However, word is now circulating that Johnson won’t feature in “Shazam!” at all. Has he been recast? Has the film taken another direction?
The answer to those questions and much more likely around the corner.