When the first Shazam film hit theaters in 2019, it felt like the turning of a new page for the DC Extended Universe. It was a movie packed full of humor and hijinks, and even a cameo to link it to the rest of the universe–Superman appeared, though we never saw his face and it was not Henry Cavill in the suit. Now, with Shazam: Fury of the Gods in theaters, director David F. Sandberg has taken it a step further by bringing one of the stars of Justice League into the fold.
The inclusion of Wonder Woman in Shazam 2 was spoiled early by Warner Bros. and DC Studios, due to the character being featured in one of the movie’s trailers. Unlike the first Shazam film, though, the actor known for portraying the role actually shows up. That’s right, though a third Wonder Woman movie is no longer in the works, Gal Gadot suited up one last time for Shazam: Fury of the Gods in a pretty fantastic cameo.
As Sandberg tells GameSpot, Wonder Woman was always planned to appear in the film, much like Superman in the first Shazam–a cameo that ultimately fell apart.
“What happened in the first movie was that Henry Cavill was going to be at the end,” the director said. “Then we were shooting the scene and they were like, ‘He’s not going to be able to get here. So shoot it with a stand-in and then we’ll come back at a later date and just shoot his coverage and make it work.’ Then that day never came.”
When the time to make a second Shazam–complete with a Wonder Woman cameo–came along, Sandberg found himself in a similar situation with a star scheduled to film a guest appearance near the end of production–and the very real possibility that it would slip through the cracks again, much like Cavill’s part in the first movie.
“I was actually starting to think if we don’t get her, how do we solve it?” Sandberg admitted. “Can Hespera come back? We need a God to revive him.”
Thankfully, Gadot was able to film the appearance, making Shazam: Fury of the Gods quite possibly the final time we will see her in the Wonder Woman costume. And, of course, the movie gets to play around with revealing her, making it look as if there were another Justice League cameo without showing the actor’s face.
“We wanted to make fun of the cameo in the first movie,” the director said. “When she does show up at the end, I did frame it with the head out but then we swerve out before audiences could storm out of the theaters.”
If this is Gadot’s final appearance as Wonder Woman, thankfully fans at least get the chance to see her in action one more time.
Shazam: Fury of the Gods is in theaters now.
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