Shazam: Fury of the Gods might be just the thing to bring together the DCEU’s beleaguered Justice League. Shazam! introduces audiences to Billy Batson, a 14-year-old boy who receives superpowers from an ancient wizard named Shazam. Billy’s power enables him to transform into an adult superhero whenever he shouts the wizard's name. Billy joins the roster at a time of serious confusion for the DCEU, which has been somewhat directionless in the wake of the Justice League fiasco and the cancelation of Zack Snyder's plans for DC's characters. As a result, rumors abound that a reboot, as well as the introduction of a new figurehead in the style of MCU maestro Kevin Feige, may be incoming for the DCEU.
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The trailer for the upcoming Shazam: Fury of the Gods shows Billy, in an impromptu therapeutic conversation with a pediatrician, talking about his admiration for members of the Justice League including Aquaman, Batman, and The Flash. He also opens up to feeling some severe imposter syndrome at the thought of being a superhero in the same world as them. To make matters worse, he expresses worries about keeping his adoptive family together, after they, too, received superpowers at the end of the first film.
These qualities might be hugely beneficial to bringing the DCEU’s refreshed Justice League together. His enthusiasm and admiration for other heroes could make him the perfect character to try to unite them. This is especially so because Billy’s feelings of inadequacy make him much more likely to seek help from more experienced heroes, such as a returning Superman, who visited Billy's school at the end of the first film. Moreover, as the Shazam 2 trailer suggests, Billy's motivations have now shifted strongly towards family cohesion, a desire that might make him the perfect glue to keep a revamped Justice League together.
Shazam Can Help Lay Out The "New" DCEU
Billy's qualities also put him in good stead to help lay out the new DCEU. As an excitable kid, Billy could serve as a perfect vehicle for exposition, and his nervous chatter could be used to establish what is and isn’t still canon. What is more, because he idolizes the other heroes, Shazam has the strongest cameo potential, which DC could use to help knit its films together and create a more cohesive universe. Billy is particularly well suited to interactions with Batman, who has a long comic book history of raising adoptive sons and taking them under his wing. A Shazam cameo could help to finally set up a Robin in the DCEU, perhaps convincing a lonely Batman of his need for family. Billy Batson's surname also sets up an easy joke for DC’s writers, making him practically perfect for this role
His powers and inexperience might also lead to Shazam being mentored by characters with similar abilities. This might be a good way for him to interact with Superman, who shares Billy's powers of flight and strength. Alternatively, Billy might end up being mentored by Black Adam. Now that he is playing an anti-hero, rather than an outright villain, audiences could see Billy and Teth-Adam interact in a more friendly capacity. A peaceful relationship with Dwayne Johnson's character Black Adam, set to change the DCEU thanks to his moral ambiguity and star power, might seem like a stretch. However, the two characters share almost identical powers, and Black Adam loses a son in his origin story. Perhaps their shared abilities and Billy's history of familial loss will bring the two characters together.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods has the potential to help save the DCEU's Justice League. Billy Batson's qualities as an inexperienced and insecure teenager and his admiration for the other heroes in his universe set the stage for cameos, friendships, and camaraderie. With his enthusiasm and a newfound respect for the power of significance of family, Billy could not be better placed to become the glue that holds the superpowered team together.