Black Adam was supposed to have a post-credits scene featuring Zachary Levi's Shazam, rather than Henry Cavill's Superman.
The Wrap reports that Dwayne Johnson "privately vetoed" a planned post-credits scene in Black Adam which would have seen Shazam recruited for the Justice Society of America – this is the scene we instead see in the mid-credits of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, albeit with different DC characters doing the recruiting. In fact, Shazam 2 director David F. Sandberg has said the Justice Society were supposed to appear in the scene, but it all "fell apart" a few days before filming.
The Black Adam post-credits scene instead sees Henry Cavill's Superman come out of the mist and tell Johnson's titular hero that the two "should talk."
"We fought for years to bring you back. They always said no," Johnson wrote on Twitter at the time of the film's release. "But to [producers Dany and Hiram Garcia] & myself "no" was not an option. We can't build out our DCEU w/out the world's greatest superhero. And fans will always come first. Welcome home. I'll see you down the road."
Unfortunately for Johnson, newly appointed CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have brand new plans for the next chapter of the DC Universe that don't involve Cavill as the Man of Steel. Instead, Superman: Legacy will feature a much younger Clark Kent and dive into his upbringing. See our deep dive on what went down with Henry Cavill's Superman through the link.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is in theaters now. For much more on the movie, check out our spoilery deep dives on:
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods ending explained
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods cameos explained
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods post-credits scenes explained
- When will Shazam! Fury of the Gods be on HBO Max?
- Are Shazam and Black Adam the same?
- How to watch the DC movies in order
- The comic history of the Shazam Family explained
- All the new DC movies and TV shows coming soon
- Our guide to DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters
- The comic history of Shazam and the Justice Society
- Do Shazam and Wonder Woman have a shared history in comics?
- The comic history of the Olympian Gods
- Shazam 2 director explains why the first movie's villain doesn't return
