The director of Shazam! David F. Sandberg has made a professional departure from the DC Universe due to adverse reactions from audiences, especially superhero film enthusiasts. The producer received overwhelming backlash and death threats following Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). The director made his decision to abandon pre-existing character adaptations with Fury of the Gods (2023).
The Toll of Toxic Fandom
During his interview with GamesRadar, Sandberg confessed that publishing the movies resulted in permanent psychological impacts.
“I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it’s just not worth it,” he revealed. “Fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything.”
With Lights Out serving as his first Hollywood production in 2016, the director went on to succeed with his superhero films. Critics, along with audience viewers, declared the first Shazam! the film was successful film on both fronts through its comedic elements and emotional depth.
The second movie failed to match the success of its predecessor as it performed poorly at the box office, yet ratings were varied.
Zachary Levi Speaks Out Against Online Hate
Through interviews, Zachary Levi identified poisonous online conduct as the main reason behind the weak reception of Shazam: The Fury of the Gods. The sequel faced a chilly reception because Levi held “online hate” along with “haters, trolls, and factions” entirely responsible for the rejection.
Sandberg took most of the negative criticism from the film as he and his colleagues moved forward, enduring significant pressure. This influence negatively affected the movie’s success. Sandberg communicated his impatience with departure from superhero roles through social media (even though his initial post was later taken down) following the sequel’s minimal success.
“As I’ve been saying for a while now, I’m very eager to go back to horror (as well as trying some new things)…” he wrote.
Under his horror achievements in Annabelle: Creation, Sandberg positions himself to resume his early roots in horror films, while superhero fandom appears to maintain minimal fan pressure.
A Hard Lesson for Hollywood
Hollywood faces an expanding issue because passionate fan bases create unpredictable tensions with their creators.
Shazam! kept Sandberg committed for six years until he decided that maintaining his freedom to create his way was worth leaving behind superhero success.
