Shazam! filmmakers discuss how it would've been nearly impossible to fit him into the darker DC universe

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We also had to ask what was the involvement of executive producer Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Shazam! is fun.

A lot of fun, actually.

As we say in our review, it is quite a sharp detour from the previous direction that the DC Extended Universe of movies was previously heading in.

While some of the previous DCEU movies that took the darker route - Man Of Steel, Batman V Superman, Justice League, Suicide Squad - all made some serious bank, they weren't exactly loved by the critics. Or the audiences, for the matter.

It was only when things lightened up a bit - Wonder Woman, Aquaman - that they found they could both make the money, and make viewers happy with the end product.

So we had to ask, if the DC universe had continued on down the darker route, would Shazam have been able to fit in?

"The character demands a lighter tone," answers director David F. Sandberg, "because that is who he is. So it would have been hard to make a darker Shazam!, if not impossible."

We also asked whether or not, with all of the changes happening within those other DC movies - Affleck gone as Batman, Cavill maybe gone as Superman, that pivot from dark and heavy to lighter and more fun - had any direct influence on the making of this movie.

"Not at all," states producer Peter Safran.

"I think our goal with this movie was just to tell the story that was right for this character, and so the tone of the movie was one that was right for Shazam!, to tell his origin story. A fun action comedy with a great wish fulfillment at its core, and it really didn't matter what else was going on the DC universe. We just had the freedom to tell the right movie for this character."

You can check out all of that and more - including how involved (or not involved!) Dwayne Johnson was, considering how he is one of the movie's executive producers, and he REALLY wants to play the character's nemesis Black Adam - in our full interview with the filmmakers right here:

Meanwhile, we were also lucky enough to chat to some of the other folk involved in Shazam!, including the movie's big bad guy Mark Strong (who LOVED being the evil villain!), as well as Shazam! himself Zachary Levi, who we quizzed on his superhero knowledge!

Check out all of those interviews on JOE's YouTube Channel right here, while Shazam! is released in Irish cinemas on Friday 5 April, and you can get your tickets right here.

Clip via Warner Bros. Pictures

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