David F. Sandberg originally wanted Shaquille O’Neal and Sinbad to make cameo appearances in Shazam: Fury of the Gods.
Most comic-book movies feature a cameo or two, and Shazam: Fury of the Gods was no exception, but the film almost included a celebrity cameo which would have been amazing. Director David. F Sandberg took to Twitter to reveal that Sinbad was originally set to make a cameo in the Shazam sequel.
Sinbad’s cameo would have been a reference to the genie movie Shazaam which doesn’t actually exist except as an example of the Mandela Effect. Unfortunately, Sinbad’s health struggles meant that he couldn’t take part, so Sandberg turned to Shaquille O’Neal instead. Unlike Sinbad, Shaquille O’Neal actually did play a genie in the 1996 fantasy comedy Kazaam, but Sandberg said that Shaq had to drop out of Shazam: Fury of the Gods just days before shooting due to scheduling issues.
As Shazam: Fury of the Gods hasn’t been a success at the box office, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Shazam return anytime soon. Sandberg has commented on the mixed reviews that the sequel has received. “On Rotten Tomatoes I just got my lowest critic score and my highest audience score on the same film,” Sandberg wrote. “I wasn’t expecting a repeat of the first movie critically but I was still a little surprised because I think it’s a good film. Oh well.” The movie is currently sitting at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, but its audience score is much higher at 86%. Sandberg continued, “As I’ve been saying for a while now I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as trying some new things). After six years of Shazam I’m definitely done with superheroes for now.“
“Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos,” reads the official synopsis. “But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.”
Shazam: Fury of the Gods is already available on PVOD. You can check out a review from our own JimmyO right here, and be sure to let us know what you thought of the film as well.