The DC cinematic universe, dubbed the DCU by fans, has had a rocky road since its conception. One of the unexpected bright spots for the franchise was 2019’s Shazam! starring Zachary Levi and Mark Strong, based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name (previously known as Captain Marvel).

After the success of Shazam! the budding series is gearing up for a second round of adventures with the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The movie is set to feature a new trio of villains who have no basis in the comics but have been created especially for the film. Let's take a look at how this creative decision can have a huge impact on the DCU and superhero movies in general.

Shazam Introduces Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso

Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren play Shazam characters Kalypso Hespera
Warner Bros.

The trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods revealed the film’s main villains as played by Helen Mirren, Rachel Zegler, and Lucy Liu. The three actresses will be assuming the roles of Greek goddesses Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso. They are the daughters of Atlas, one of the beings whose power flows in Billy Batson aka Shazam’s magical superhero body.

Related: Shazam! Fury of the Gods: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We KnowThe director of the movie, David F. Sandberg, explained in an interview that Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso are not characters who have appeared in the comics, and this will be their first appearance in a Shazam storyline. “We landed [with the three villains] because Shazam’s powers come from Greek gods,” Sandberg told Empire Magazine. “So what if those powers were stolen from the gods, and now they want revenge?”

Making Changes to Comics Canon

Shazam Fury of the Gods
Warner Bros.

Even since the start of the age of modern superhero movies with Richard Donner’s Superman and Tim Burton’s Batman, comic books have been the litmus test against which fans judge the films. When Micheal Keaton was cast as Batman, there was a huge public outcry because fans thought that the funny actor he looked nothing like the brooding, muscular Bruce Wayne from the comics.

Similarly, Sam Raimi caught a lot of heat from fans for choosing to give Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man organic web shooters instead of having him invent the shooters, as Peter Parker does in the comics. Every time a comic book movie changes the gender or race of a character from the comics, there is a huge outcry from certain sections of the fandom about how the makers of the film are not respecting the source material.

Superhero Movies Going Mainstream

Avengers Infinity War in MCU Phase 3
Marvel Studios 
Disney

One reason for these kinds of criticisms was because for decades, superhero movies were considered niche offerings geared towards the comic book crowd. Since the makers of the movies were aiming to please comics fans over general audiences, it was important to keep their feelings in mind by trying to stick close to the source material.

But that is no longer the case. Thanks to the success of the MCU, comic book superhero movies are no longer the underdogs of cinema. Rather, they are the new normal, the most successful features at the box office and also garnering more and more acclaim from critics. Superhero movies are not just for fans of comics anymore. Even general audiences who have never picked up a comic book look forward to watching the adventures of Spider-Man and Shazam on the big screen

No Longer Dependent on Comics

Joker Dancing
Warner Bros.

This newfound popularity of superhero movies has a significant side effect. Whereas in the past, superhero films were seen as companion pieces to DC and Marvel Comics, today the movies have taken on a dimension of their own, divorced from the larger world of comics, video games, and animation. Now filmmakers are no longer as concerned about sticking closely to the source material in the comics while making a superhero movie.

Related: Here’s Why Mister Mind Isn’t in Shazam!: Fury of the GodsThis can be seen in how 2019’s Joker did away with almost all the Clown Prince of Crime’s comic book origins to tell a fresh, standalone story about original character Arthur Fleck and his path to becoming Joker. Similarly, the recent Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made drastic changes to Namor from the comics, giving him a new name, a new look, and a new cultural heritage.

Shazam Creates New Characters From Scratch

Shazam
Warner Bros. Pictures

This newfound ability of superhero movies to ignore the comics can address what was often seen as the genre’s biggest weakness: Its dependence on the source material. The truth is, comics are full of colorful men and women in ludicrous masks and spandex with ridiculous names, battling over the fate of the world with the help of bizarre powers and even more bizarre gadgets.

All that stuff was difficult to translate into a grounded or realistic movie setting, which is why superhero movies for the longest time were thought to be suitable for children rather than adults. As Shazam! Fury of the Gods has now proven, it is possible to do away completely with comic book material, and create fresh characters specifically for the film medium in the exact way the filmmaker deems fit without worrying about staying true to the comics.

This major step taken by Shazam! Fury of the Gods might well prove to have a domino effect on other superhero movies, and we might start to see more and more original characters popping up in the MCU and DCU. While comic book purists might not be thrilled with the idea, this will open up a world of new possibilities for filmmakers looking to do something less comic-book-like and more in tune with their personal vision.