“Shazam! is to live in the same world [as the other films] but
we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are
working with a different team, different producers, directors… it’s a
different set-up. We don’t feel fettered by, or constrained by, the successes or failures
and challenges of the other projects. That was a key component to our
participation—that we be able to control the tone and the voice, and do
it the way we want to.”
From the sounds of things, Shazam! will exist adjacently to the DC universe being created by Batman v Superman and Justice League
director Zack Snyder—featuring heroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman,
Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—rather than being firmly implanted within
it.
So, where do things stand at present? “We’re getting [script] drafts in…
it’s important to make sure we get the tone right for Black Adam, which
is Dwayne’s part,” Garcia says. “We don’t mind taking our time. We’re
being very careful with each act and scene to go back and layer in as
much as possible.”