Shazam! Fury Of The Gods expected to have ‘one of the worst’ domestic openings for any DC movie with just $30M at the box office this weekend

The superhero flick Shazam! Fury Of The Gods appears to be heading for a major box office disappointment. 

The movie, which hit theaters this weekend, had a rough domestic opening, grossing a projected $30 million, making it one of the worst openings for any DC movie, according to TMZ.

If the projections hold, the David F. Sandberg–directed sequel will be down 44% from the first movie’s $53.5M opening in 2019. 

The sequel to Shazam is the first of four DCEU films arriving in 2023, followed by The Flash (June 16), Blue Beetle (August 18) and Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (December 25).

Zachary Levi — who debunked rumors that he was being recast in December — returns as the title character, the adult superhero that Billy Batson (Asher Angel) turns into, after being granted amazing powers by a wizard (Djimon Hounsou) in the original film.

Worst opening for a DC film: The movie’s rough domestic opening is ‘one of the worst for any DC movie’ according to TMZ; Levi pictured in a Shazam still 

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash are among the four movies still left from the previous regime at DC Films — run by Walter Hamada – which has since been handed over to James Gunn, 56, and Peter Safran, 57. 

Shazam was the first of these projects to hit the theater, with The Flash starring embattled actor Ezra Miller coming next. 

Also slated for release this year are Blue Beetle and Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom on Christmas Day. 

Gunn previously called The Flash, ‘probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.’ 

Last year, amid a flurry of shakeups at DC Studios involving multiple superhero projects, Levi debunked rumors he was being re-cast in the film.

Levi quote-retweeted a Tweet about the rumor, writing, ‘Oooh, I really wouldn’t go believing everything you see on the internet. I’m Gucci, Ash. We all Gucci.’

He also quote-retweeted another tweet suggesting that Gunn will recast younger actors, calling 42-year-old Levi a ‘grandpa’ as Levi responded, ‘Ageist,’ with a smirking emoji.

Levi’s first foray into the DC Extended Universe was 2019’s Shazam, based on the DC Comics character created in 1940 by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. 

The story follows young Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who finds new superpowers that turns him into an adult superhero (Levi) when he simply says the word ‘Shazam.’

The first film was a hit with critics (90 % on Rotten Tomatoes) and fans alike, earning $140.4 million domestic and $366 million worldwide from a $100 million budget. 

It’s been just over a month since Gunn unveiled his DC Studios slate, and it seems there is much more in store to be announced. 

Gunn and Safran were announced as the new heads of DC Studios in late October, with Gunn promising to unveil his first slate of projects by February 1. 

Worst than the first: If the projections hold, the David F. Sandberg-directed sequel, will be off 44% from the first 2019 movie’s $53.5M opening; Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren pictured in a still

Debunking: Amid a flurry of shakeups at DC Studios involving multiple superhero projects, Levi debunked rumors that he was being re-cast in the film last year

Ageist: He also quote-retweeted another tweet suggesting that Gunn will recast younger actors, calling 42-year-old Levi a ‘grandpa’ as Levi responded, ‘Ageist’ with a smirking emoji

New boss: Shazam and The Flash are among the four movies still left from the previous regime at DC Films, which has since been handed over to James Gunn, 56, and his partner Peter Safran, 57; Gunn pictured in 2022

Coming next: The filmmaker unveiled his first projects at the start of the year, and they include Superman: Legacy, Booster Gold, The Brave and the Bold and more; Pictured 2023

True to his word, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker unveiled the first projects on January 31, which including Superman: Legacy, Booster Gold, The Brave and the Bold and more.

Gunn unveiled 10 projects that will be part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), along with a sequel to The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, one of the studio’s Elseworld projects set outside of the DCEU.

While no further projects have been announced since then, Gunn teased there is much more in the works, when responding to a fan on Twitter. 

The new DC Films head has also rattled many fans, after he canceled Wonder Woman 3, fired Henry Cavill as Superman and rejected a sequel to Black Adam (for now).