Did the OG Captain Marvel just take shots at the MCU? From sneaky alien starfish to flaming
fiddles, here are all the references in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" you might have missed.
Before Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, David F. Sandberg directed
another feature film entry in a massive cinematic universe — Annabelle: Creation,
part of the Conjuring Universe. Like the other movies, Annabelle: Creation focused on the titular
doll controlled by a demon whose only apparent interest is playing deadly games with its owners.
Throughout her three solo movies and her appearances in the main Conjuring series,
one of Annabelle's most enduring qualities is her uncanny ability to appear out of nowhere wherever
you would least expect her. Surprisingly, she retains this ability in both Shazam! movies,
popping up to add her uniquely terrifying visage to the background of a scene in each.
In the first Shazam!, Sandberg chose to sneak Annabelle into the pawn shop scene
at the start of the movie, placing her on a shelf among the plentiful junk — and making
the fact that the two police officers are locked in the room much worse. In
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, she's found her way into the pediatrician's office,
either by sneaking in or somehow seeming to the doctor like a toy who could cheer a child up.
"You understand I'm a pediatrician, right?"
"Yeah."
As odd as it may sound, Annabelle also has another DC Extended Universe cameo,
this time in Aquaman, which was directed by Conjuring Universe creator James Wan.
As funky a name as it can be, Shazam works because it has a deeper meaning, as it's
actually an acronym for the six mythological figures from which the hero draws his power.
There's Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury — although Shazam
himself evidently believes it isn't Solomon but rather Saruman, the White Wizard from The
Lord of the Rings. The mistake is understandable, though, as another Easter egg demonstrates that
Freeman — Billy Batson's "superhero manager" — is a huge The Lord of the Rings fan himself.
At one point in the film, Freeman wears a The Lord of the Rings t-shirt, which may just be
a nerdy shirt for a nerdy dude, but perhaps not — it's a fitting depiction. Specifically,
the tee features the White Tree of Gondor and the Seven Stars, both of which are symbols of Elendil,
one of the greatest heroes of all men. Elendil was pure of heart and famous for both height and
handsomeness — both traits that Freeman repeatedly brags about upon assuming his hero form.
Likewise, Shazam name-dropping Saruman may also be an intentionally fitting Easter egg.
The Wizard spent thousands of years safeguarding men until his resentment
and lust for power caused him to turn on them and attempt to destroy them
all — the exact arc of the new movie's three villains, Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso.
For anyone hoping for a Batman cameo in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, we have good news and bad news.
"And Batman! He's so cool. And I'm just me."
To get the bad news out of the way first:
no, Ben Affleck's Batman never appears in the movie. However,
the good news is that another recent Bat-actor shows up: none other than Diedrich Bader.
If you don't know the name, that's understandable, but Bader is actually a big Bat-deal. In recent
years, he has voiced the Caped Crusader in shows such as Batman: The Brave and the Bold,
and "Harley Quinn," movies like JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time, and video games like Justice
League: Cosmic Chaos, becoming a go-to Bat-voice for Warner Bros. Bader's take on the character
has all the requisite gravel and depth, but the actor's comedic sensibilities harken back to Adam
West's campy earnestness and charm. Bader's inclusion is a fun Easter egg for fans of
the wider DC franchise, especially fans of its long-celebrated animated films and series.
The Easter egg machine that is Freddy Freeman keeps running throughout the film,
this time delivering a series of references to the most iconic fantasy role-playing game of all time,
Dungeons & Dragons. As Freeman says throughout both movies — even convincing Batson to begin
saying it too — he's an expert in all things superhero and fantasy. Boasting that when
your only competition is Batson makes sense, but in Shazam! Fury of the Gods,
Freeman even makes the claim to the Wizard, one of the oldest, most powerful,
and most knowledgeable magic users in Earth's history. Embarrassingly, when it comes time
for Freeman to drop his knowledge, it all comes straight from "The Player's Handbook."
While he and the Wizard are trapped in a magic prison on another plane, Freeman spouts out
three ideas for escape. He first suggests Giant Strength and Gaseous Form. Lastly, Freeman asks if
the Wizard at least has an Arcane Focus, an item that helps magic users channel their powers.
Some Easter eggs can come across as unintentional or only referential in
a certain light, but some are as clear as if they were written across a series of giant,
bright signs. In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, there is a third option,
as many of its Easter eggs are literally written across a series of giant, bright signs.
Some of the most glaring examples appear once the Daughters of Atlas have planted the Tree
of Life in downtown Philadelphia. Aside from the word "park," which appears numerous times,
we also see the tree's roots spread through "Hedgerow Lane," "Spring Garden St.," and
finally end up in front of a plant store. Its sign reads "plants give people" and then
tantalizingly cuts off, a pretty fitting phrase given the role of the Tree of Life in the movie.
There are a ton of other, non-plant examples, as well. After Shazam decides to sacrifice himself to
defeat Kalypso and her dragon, a marquee behind him reads "the decision hurt." Even better is
when Freeman and Anthea are trapped in a parking structure with Kalypso and the dragon, as a big
sign labels the location the "ow center." If you're a comic book reader, especially a
longtime one, you might know Shazam by another name: Captain Marvel. For more casual fans, or
those more familiar with Marvel characters, this may sound confusing, but it's true. Shazam only
became the character's official name recently, and for the vast majority of his history, he went only
by Captain Marvel. This other name never came up in Shazam! — but it finally has its day in Shazam!
Fury of the Gods, when a Philly citizen proudly proclaims, "You're the best, Captain Marvel!"
The history of the name is as convoluted as any in comic books. The character was created back in
the '30s and enjoyed a successful run in early comics throughout the '40s However, in a move
that will eventually become superhumanly ironic, the character's publisher, Fawcett Comics, was
sued by DC for copyright infringement — they felt that Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman.
Fast forward to the '70s and by then, legal maneuvering has allowed Marvel
to create their own Captain Marvel and DC to incorporate that old Fawcett Comics Captain
Marvel into their own universe — prompting a brand new legal conflict over the name.
Regardless of the title's dubious history, this Easter egg in Shazam! Fury of the Gods
finally gave Billy Batson the chance to be dubbed Captain Marvel on the big screen.
Another name that will likely ring a bell for fans of DC comics, and likely not so for more
casual fans, is A.R.G.U.S.. The government agency has been around for just over a decade
in the comics but has already become somewhat of a major force therein, acting as support
for super-powered groups like the Justice League and the Suicide Squad. The organization has even
branched out onto the big screen, appearing under the leadership of Amanda Waller to fund
and maintain the different incarnations of the Suicide Squad, as well as the Justice Society.
If you're just watching Shazam! Fury of the Gods,
however, you might have no idea who these people are, even the two famous members who
show up in an Easter egg that appears during the film's mid-credits scene.
Shazam agrees to meet with two A.R.G.U.S. agents, who fans of James Gunn's The Suicide
Squad and Peacemaker will recognize as John Economos and Emilia Harcourt.
"Economos, motherf---er."
Their presence alone is somewhat of an Easter egg, meant solely for fans of the DC Extended Universe
as a whole, but they have another goal in meeting Shazam. In fact, they formally invite him to join
the Justice Society, the super-team first shown on screen in Black Adam that has been a mainstay
in DC Comics almost since their very inception. While Economos and Harcourt make the trek to their
hidden meeting spot with Shazam, they go over their briefing for the mission. They mention
that Shazam is "as strong as they get" but also immature, and the hero doesn't do anything to
prove the intel false. Among his many childish quips, he begins rattling off better names for
the Justice Society, one of which is a delightful — and unexpected — Easter egg. Pointing out that
the Justice Society is a confusing name for a superhero team when the Justice League is
already a superhero team, Shazam brainstorms a few other ideas. Most, like the "Authority
Society," are bland and, as Shazam himself even admits, reminiscent of a law office name.
"I'm an idiot."
However, it should be noted that The Authority is a real superteam in the DC
Extended Universe and will soon get its own big screen adaptation, so the reference is a clear
nod to that. But there is one name that does work. Shazam suggests the "Avenger Society."
This is an apparent reference to Marvel, specifically their famous Justice League
counterpart, the Avengers. As a few Avengers themselves have pointed out in the MCU,
the Avengers isn't exactly a great team name itself, but that's irrelevant here. The
faintest connection between the two dominant superhero franchises is enough to make for a
satisfying Easter egg — just one of the many great surprises in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
In DC Comics, Starro the Conqueror is a legend. Not only because the alien starfish ended up
being the Justice League's first villain, but also because it gave birth to Jarro,
the Starro in a jar, who became Batman's sidekick in a totally ludicrous but amazing
"Justice League" storyline arc. Starro has also made its debut in the DC Universe,
appearing in 2021's "The Suicide Squad," where the poor creature is eaten alive by rats.
Starro is gone but not forgotten in the DCU. In "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," the starfish
receives a moment to be immortalized in the greatest manner: as a letter of the
alphabet. The scene occurs early in the film when Shazam lies on a couch and unpacks his woes. The
bespectacled man behind the table reminds him that he's a pediatrician and not a psychiatrist,
gesturing to the kids' play area in his office. There is an alphabet chart on the
wall with pictures. And who is the image accompanying the letter S? It's Starro,
of course. Move over, Annabelle. This is the best cameo in the film.
Fans familiar with "Captain Marvel Adventures" comics will remember a furry friend named Tawky
Tawny. The anthropomorphic tiger is a dapper ally of the Marvel family. He's the kind of
comic book element that teeters on the edge of being almost too ridiculous to feature in a
live-action film. Shoot, even animated features bring him around as a boring regular tiger.
"No…not again!"
"Oh, you better believe it."
In the first "Shazam!" movie, David F. Sandberg included a few subtle Easter eggs as a tip of
the hat to Tawny, but he pays even bigger tribute to the fan-favorite character in "Shazam! Fury of
the Gods." When the Shazamily swoops in to save the people on the bridge, Darla spots a basket
of kittens and saves them first -- naturally. A while later, Darla walks into the house with
the cutest kitten in the world, whom the audience finds out she dubbed Tawny. Well, that's settled
then. James Gunn and Peter Safran better make Tawny a part of the new DCU or we riot.
The Shazamily's lair is a little piece of heaven. It's kitted out like the ultimate fun cave,
complete with big screens and all the fun that any child could dream of.
"Lair! We got a lair."
Harbored inside the Rock of Eternity is also a burning violin, which appeared in the first film.
While this might seem like a random magical item like Steve the Pen, this is a deep cut
of Shazam's history that only the diehard fans may remember. Even director David F.
Sandberg remarked on the "DC Standom" podcast that executive producer Geoff Johns thought
only a few people would understand where it comes from and its significance to the lore.
The burning violin is reference to 1946's "Captain Marvel Adventures"
#64 and the story "Flames of the Magic Fiddle," which sees Oggar's henchman,
Nero, come in possession of a violin. Oggar bestows it with magical flames that keep it
burning while Nero plays, and voila! There's the origin of the burning violin. That said,
Captain Marvel smashes the violin in the comic and stops it from burning,
but considering comic book continuity is about as stable as a matchstick, no comment.
"Mortal Kombat" and DC have crossed in the video game world, thanks to 2008 fighter
"Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe." Considering both brands are housed under Warner Bros.,
it's easy to imagine them crossing over flawlessly to other mediums. Yet,
seeing Sub-Zero go to town on comic book heroes might be a little, uh, disarming,
so fans will have to settle for the "Mortal Kombat" Easter egg in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods."
The Shazamily's lair is bursting with all sorts of surprises. However, the "Mortal Kombat II"
arcade cabinet in particular shows that the kids not only have taste in video games,
but they also know which is the best in the series. Also, it's a neat touch to keep that
franchise in mind since the "Mortal Kombat 2" movie is in the early phases of production.
Let's hope the love is reciprocal and Lord Raiden wears a Shazam shirt or something in the movie.