10 Reasons Shazam Needs To Be In Justice League 2

There are several reasons that fans have begun to doubt the likelihood that Darkseid would be the main villain of a Justice League sequel, but one of the simplest is that DC may not want a character so easily compared to Thanos. In a story about Darkseid's search for the Anti-Life Equation, a MacGuffin far different from the Infinity Stones (but a MacGuffin nonetheless), this might be true.

However, Shazam is a new link to the gods of the DCEU, the only previous link being Wonder Woman. Receiving power from six gods at once, Shazam's emergence could create a new motivation for Darkseid's appearance.

It's clear from Steppenwolf's knowledge of Superman's death that the New Gods are paying attention to what happens on Earth. If they're now aware that a new hero wields the powers of six gods, Darkseid - whose absorption of the Old Gods' powers is what makes him so formidable - would want these extra powers for himself. Instead of merely seeking a few objects and causing a war in the process, the war itself would be his primary objective.

This wouldn't mean that a Justice League sequel would necessarily ignore the Anti-Life Equation. Acquiring Shazam's powers would merely be a stepping stone on the way to achieving it. Darkseid is such an imposing villain because he knows that few heroes can defeat him on their own. By treating the Justice League as a mere hurdle on the way to something greater, as opposed to the primary obstacle, the sequel could emphasize Darkseid's justified confidence in his godlike powers.

Also worth noting is that Darkseid's death in the comics led to Shazam gaining new abilities of his own. By including Shazam in a Justice League sequel with Darkseid as the villain, the DCEU could pave the way for Shazam's own films to go in interesting new directions. It's a creative choice that would enable growth for the future of both the Shazam! and Justice League franchises.