Shazam Shazam General Discussion and Speculation - Part 1

[FunkMiller]

Lol so? Like misslane said, kids love Al Capone and guys like that. One of my best friends would call himself Lucky Luciano when we were kids. This man is almost 30 and still does actually. We had posters and other kinds of merch.

Someone should've told Brian De Palma that this was not a good basis for a film though.

As stated above... if you’re fine with it, then okay.

 

[FunkMiller]

Yes, it does. Because the public, including children and their caregivers, may not know everything you and I know about Batman in the DCEU. His more brutal streak was not widely reported and was later revealed to be partly the responsibility of Lex Luthor. We don't know what "America's children" in the DCEU know about Batman.

For all we know, he was a popular urban legend folk hero during his heyday and his dark period was underreported by the media that also later would have to retract accusations because Luthor was the true culprit. He may not have even been known at all outside Gotham until the events of Justice League, which would have painted him in a mostly positive and kid-friendly light.

Plus, and this is important, teenagers like Billy and Freddy love guys like Batman. I don't know if a Batman toy would be sought after by all of America's or the world's children, but I could definitely see him as a popular figure for older kids to admire and obsess over, especially kids like Billy and Freddy who haven't led charmed lives themselves.

Again, and for the last time, I am personally not keen on the idea of Reeves’s Batman being a public enough figure to have accurate toys made from him, is someone who children know and love, and who’s actions and methods are acceptable to toy companies. However, I totally accept that you are fine with this.

 

[Astro13Zombie]

You’re missing the point entirely. Within the fictional narrative, who in their right mind would merchandise what is perceived to be a psychotic madman, who beats people to a pulp? Why would kids love what essentially to them would be a bogeyman? A creature from a horror story?

Kids in our world know Batman is cool, but do you think the kids of Gotham would feel that way?

This is all based on the idea that the Batman they’ll use is the dark knight. If they go with a lighter, caped crusader, Adam West like interpretation, then it all makes absolute sense.

Like I said before.
The world saw batman saving the world with the rest of the rest of the Justice League. Right alongside Superman and other superpowerd heroes fighting to protect them.
Batman is on a team that defends the world.
What kid wouldn’t be completely in to that? What toy company wouldn’t want to jump in on the hype?

As for the Batman solo.
If the rumors are true that it will be a prequel, then there’s no problem.

 

[Da-Scribe]

The idea of toy companies being so morally invested is hilarious to me.

 

[Sawyer]

I'm so glad you aren't all overthinking things here.

 

[misslane38]

Again, and for the last time, I am personally not keen on the idea of Reeves’s Batman being a public enough figure to have accurate toys made from him, is someone who children know and love, and who’s actions and methods are acceptable to toy companies. However, I totally accept that you are fine with this.

And, again, I believe if being public enough to create an accurate figure means not necessarily being that public at all, then that's not much of a major concern. It's also not much of a concern if toy companies make toys of him, because making a product would only say something about public approval of Batman's methods if that was something companies cared about or was paramount to them when making financial decisions; usually it's not. You can't use the fact that these toys exist to conclude that Batman is universally loved and accepted.

What exactly are you saying I'm fine with? Based on just a toy, all I have to be fine with is that Batman is a mostly shadowy figure who engages in vigilante justice, and that greedy toy companies think making an approximation of his image into a product is a way to make money, not an ethical or political statement. In addition, kids buying such a toy is something I think anyone could be fine with if one understands that kids would see Batman as a dark knight -- a knight in shining armor, so to speak -- and would see him as someone who does cool things and stops bad guys through an urban legend or fantasy lens.

I don't think when companies make these products or kids buy them that they are necessarily placing as much meaning or significance onto the product or purchase as you are.

 

[Guts]

I think the batman action figure could be a product after Justice League. That scene with the League fighting the resurrected Superman did take place in an area surrounded by a bunch of tall buildings during daylight. It's possible that people from nearby buildings could have gotten photos or footage of Superman's short fight with the league. It could also explain why Freddie has a t shirt with Aquaman's logo on it. There was Batman merchandise in Suicide Squad, but none of it featured the DCEU logo.

 

[Da-Scribe]

I'm so glad you aren't all overthinking things here.

Like it really just comes down to this. In this world, kids think Batman is cool. Or at least Billy and his friends do.

 

[The Guard]

I really like the DCEU hero worship connection seen here. It could be an interesting way to show that the heroes of the Justice League continue to operate in the world, even if we don't see them in action. They're missing a golden opportunity if Superman doesn't mentor Shazam at some point.

And the only way the texture of Shazam's suit could be much more satisfying is if it was tiny tiger heads.

 

[LoganGambit87]

 

[Broseph44]

m1ll3r You are really really diving too deep into things and overthinking to the max. Yikes.

 

[HBarnill]

I don’t like what this Batman did but I wouldn’t go out of my way and ruin that kid’s spirit by telling him what he did. I’m not an ass.

 

[Astro13Zombie]

m1ll3r You are really really diving too deep into things and overthinking to the max. Yikes.

I think he might just be a little salty over the picture showing that Shazam is definitely set in the DCEU.

It goes against all the DCEU doomsday preaching that he’s been doing

 

[THE WOLF]

m1ll3r You are really really diving too deep into things and overthinking to the max. Yikes.

 

[dhandler01]

You’re missing the point entirely. Within the fictional narrative, who in their right mind would merchandise what is perceived to be a psychotic madman, who beats people to a pulp? Why would kids love what essentially to them would be a bogeyman? A creature from a horror story?

Kids in our world know Batman is cool, but do you think the kids of Gotham would feel that way?

This is all based on the idea that the Batman they’ll use is the dark knight. If they go with a lighter, caped crusader, Adam West like interpretation, then it all makes absolute sense.

You know you can buy serial killer toys right? Kids find all sorts of weird stuff and people cool and entertaining.

Plus I feel like you are overthinking this because you are still clinging to this idea that the DCEU is dying when that just isnt happening. There seems to be this undercurrent of fandom that is grasping at straws over this when it just isnt happening.

 

[Gee]

Spoiler

t:

 

[LoganGambit87]

might aswell ask why they sold superman t shirts in suicide squad when superman killed zod,blew up half of metropolis and was at the center of the explosion at congress

 

[Guts]

might aswell ask why they sold superman t shirts in suicide squad when superman killed zod,blew up half of metropolis and was at the center of the explosion at congress

Zod was the guy that wanted to kill all the humans on earth, the majority of the metropolis destruction was caused by Zod's ship, and I'm pretty sure Luthor was arrested for his connection with the capital bombing.

 

[Micromind]

So, Kids think Batman is the bad guy ? Nah. In Suicide Squad, Deadshot's daughter thought her father should surrender to Cops or Batman, she was not shown afraid of Batman. Some Boogeyman.

 

[Micromind]

Spoiler

Ha ! t:

 

[Web-Head]

At the end of the day those toys and merchandise are just cool little Easter eggs that say these movies are connected. Not a huge deal.

Still, everything I've seen from this has me excited and is the only DC movie I am excited for at the moment

 

[Micromind]

At the end of the day those toys and merchandise are just cool little Easter eggs that say these movies are connected. Not a huge deal.

Still, everything I've seen from this has me excited and is the only DC movie I am excited for at the moment

It's been mentioned in the movie (BvS) that Batman was active for many years (10 years ? or 15 years ?) before Black Zero event occurred, Batman gradually became more violent, Cynical, jaded after death of Robin, Zod's attack on Metropolis and Black Zero event.

We know that he was not as unhinged before that (hinted by Alfred's dialogue), so it's not farfetched that existence of Batman is not a secret and some stories of his 'heroism' were reported. Of course, I'm assuming all this based on what was hinted at in BvS, SS and JL.

 

[Greenlite]

Just to add my 2 cents to someone's wound, Joker's gang were wearing Batman masks when they attacked Arkham, lol

So glad to see the meltdown of doomsday sayers over some harmless Easter eggs, on SDCC week

 

[BH/HHH]

I’m somewhat confused as to why they’d merchandise someone who brands & kills people, and is supposed to be a dark vigilante in the shadows of one American city?

Two theories:

- it’s post JL merch where Batman is now more of a hero than a vigilante.
- Bruce Wayne himself commissioned it to make people think Batman is some sort of marketing ploy and doesn’t actually exist.

In any case we saw Supes merch in Suicide Squad and this sort of thing has happened in the comics a lot.

 

[markjoedelonge]

You’re missing the point entirely. Within the fictional narrative, who in their right mind would merchandise what is perceived to be a psychotic madman, who beats people to a pulp? Why would kids love what essentially to them would be a bogeyman? A creature from a horror story?

Kids in our world know Batman is cool, but do you think the kids of Gotham would feel that way?

This is all based on the idea that the Batman they’ll use is the dark knight. If they go with a lighter, caped crusader, Adam West like interpretation, then it all makes absolute sense.

They'd sleep soundly at night knowing the criminals are scared ****less of the Bat. That makes him all the cooler to them.