"Shazam!": Post-credit scenes what they are and what they mean

[Editor’s note: Spoilers ahead for both “Shazam!” and its post-credits scenes.]

It's hard to imagine another DC Extended Universe movie that ends on a note as happy as "Shazam!" By David F. Sandberg, who closes a merry (and sometimes scary) superhero movie with a gigantic battle which paves the way for many upcoming films. For now, however, Sandberg is focusing on his first superhero movie and all that it contains.

However, like many of his superhero movie brothers, "Shazam!" Features post-generic scenes that evoke a larger universe, in which Shazam will likely remain one of the pillars of the evolution of the DCEU. The filmmaker discussed with IndieWire these post-credit treatments and their meaning in the context of his film and beyond.

"Shazam!" Includes only two scenes post-credits, one that suggests a possibility of continuation (even if Sandberg makes sure to bet on that one) and one that was almost not retained for the final cup. This is what they are and how they relate to the rest of the CUSD.

[One more time: Spoilers ahead for both “Shazam!” and its post-credits scenes.]

1. A new whore

Sandberg's film ends on an optimistic note: Billy (Asher Angel) has found his family and Shazam! The clan has major powers. Even the director admits that it's his favorite part of the movie, the one that ends with a Christmas carnival battle that sees Billy / Shazam and his new siblings forcibly returning the evil Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong ).

"It's such a benefit to see the whole family acquire powers, and it was a little hard to understand that," Sandberg told IndieWire. "It was like, oh shit, we have six heroes. We have seven sins to fight against, "and we do not necessarily have the" Aquaman "or" Justice League "budget. So it was difficult to fight all these characters at the same time, but I loved the fact that pay. This is my favorite part of the movie. "

It also helps that the villainous villain of the film was locked up (probably for life), so it's quite fitting that this is where the two post-generic scenes of the movie begin: with Dr. Sivana forcibly locked in a Prison cell covered with magic symbols – A chicken claw that signals that Sivana is always ready to capture some of his former powers. This time, though, he could have a friend.

While he accidentally slams a piece of chalk tightly close, the super villain screams in dismay, dismayed, but he is greeted by a robotic voice telling Sivana that there are other ways to get around. to acquire magic. While Shazam fans probably expect a revelation from a classic nemesis such as Black Adam, the scene seems to reveal Mister Mind, a tiny caterpillar with a voice box around his tiny neck.

"Shazam!"

Warner Bros.

The eagle-eyed viewers probably spotted the naughty teenager earlier in the film, appearing in short scenes in the wizarding haunt of another fantasy world of Shazam. Mister Mind seems happy to be associated with Sivana, promising that the Seven Kingdoms will belong to them soon. But who is this guy?

"I think he's such a great character, because he's a bit clumsy, he's like that very evil brain in the body of a little worm," said Sandberg. "We included that without necessarily having a plan for the future. It was more like "he's a funny character and you're expected to have a post-credit scene."

While Shazam is most closely associated with Black Adam when it comes to his usual villains, Mister Mind has long been part of the superhero tradition, appearing in the early 1940s comics featuring the superhero (he even founded the Monster Society of Evil, just this wrong). In 2013, in the "Justice League" comics and in the new "Shazam!" Series, Mister Mind reaffirmed his long-standing ties with Sivana, and unlikely partners pursued their plans to conquer the world.

But that does not necessarily mean that it will inspire a sequel to the film, which has not even been announced yet, although this seems inevitable considering the film's first hit on the weekend. Sandberg added, "It was a fun thing to do, but I'm not sure what [the film’s] the sequel might be because we just made this movie the best indie movie ever. "

2. A beloved hero makes a glowing joke

The second post-credit scene does not have much to eat, but it recalls an earlier sequence of the film and offers a quick punch to another darling DC hero. In the last scene, Billy as Shazam and his adoptive brother and best friend Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) chatting in their bedroom, Shazam trying to talk to a goldfish. It turns out that he does not have this ability and that he is completely unable to imitate Aquaman's ability to "command billions at sea".

Disappointed, Shazam offers a shrug response: "Well, it's not that cool." This is just a little gag, but it goes with the general humor of the film.

David F. Sandberg on the set of "Shazam!" With stars Jack Dylan Grazer and Zachary Levi

Warner Bros.

"This scene was actually part of the whole montage," said Sandberg, referring to a previous montage in which Billy and Freddy were trying to understand all of Shazam's powers in the help of both essay and commentary. very funny mistakes. "It was so much fun to have all these powers and things to do, so we shot a ton of things, much more than we could get into the movie."

It was almost not achieved in the final film, but Sandberg and his team knew they wanted some kind of joke to close the feature film. Why not use a gag that did not make the original cut?

"At the time of the development, we said to ourselves:" maybe we should have something after the credits ", we still have all these things, take one of these scenes and put it here", a- he declared. "Aquaman felt like an even more fun choice because it just came out and was a big hit, so it was:" Oh, well, let's use it and let's take a little of pleasure at Aquaman. & # 39; the floor of the cutting room and I said to myself, "ah, let's put it there!" "

"Shazam!" Is currently in theaters.

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