The wait for Shazam 2 just got a whole lot longer. Warner Bros. recently did a lot of reshuffling with its release calendar, largely in response to Cineworld closing down its theaters again, which includes all Regal locations in the U.S. As part of the response, the upcoming DC sequel has been pushed to summer 2023.

Fury of the Gods had previously been set to arrive on November 4, 2022, following its initial delay from April 2022. It will now hit theaters (assuming theaters are still a thing by then) on June 2, 2023. Taking to Twitter, Director David F. Sandberg not only confirmed the news but also made light of it, while also explaining that the current filming plans likely won't change. Here's what he had to say.

"And 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is now a summer 2023 film... WB was like 'can't you just use fake beards on the kids?' and I was like 'If Tom Cruise is going to space for real then we can wait for the kids to grow real beards! It's an important plot point.' Seriously though, it doesn't mean we have to change the shooting schedule so no need to freak out about the age of the kids. You can freak out about your own age though. I'll be 42 in three years. How about that!"

Zachary Levi, who will be returning in the title role, previously revealed that the current plan was to shoot in the first half of next year. As for the jokes, the younger members of the cast, such as Asher Angel, who plays Billy Batson, are growing up as we speak. A year delay for them is significant. So it is likely crucial that they try to film the movie as quickly as possible. That will just give them more time in post-production.

Much of the rest of DC's slate has been pushed back as well, including The Batman, which now arrives in 2022, as well as Black Adam and The Flash. For now, Wonder Woman 1984 is keeping its December release date. James Gunn's The Suicide Squad is also remaining put in August 2021. Minecraft and Dune were also delayed, while The Matrix 4 moved up to December 2021.

Shazam 2 plot details have yet to be revealed. During DC FanDome, an unofficial poster was shared and the Fury of the Gods subtitle was confirmed. There was also a tease that comedian Sinbad will be in it. Though it remains to be seen if that was a gag or if he truly will be part of the ensemble.

All of these delays have to do with the fact that Tenet and The New Mutants failed to drum up significant business at the box office. Many theaters opened in the hopes that Tenet would be the first in a series of studio movies coming down the pipeline. Instead, movie after movie has pushed to 2021, including major blockbusters like Black Widow and No Time to Die. This news comes to us via Variety.