It's already potentially troubling enough for audiences to accept that the Arrow, Flash and Suicide Squad (not to mention the Gotham City) (because Gotham doesn't deserve to be mentioned) that appear on their television screens every week aren't the same as those that'll be troubling their multiplexes all the way up until 2020 at the very least. That could get even more confusing if the rumours are true about Shazam, a film which was already accidentally announced when former WWE superstar and current actor extraordinaire Dwayne The Rock Johnson confessed he'd be playing villain Black Adam, and may take place in yet another alternate reality. That would fit with the source material, kind of. Shazam - previously Captain Marvel, a name changed for obvious copyright reasons - was one of Superman's main competitors back in the day, and his series from Fawcett Comics frequently outsold DC. Then Fawcett went under, partially thanks to a lawsuit from their competitors, and DC consequently bought the rights to all their characters. Shazam's whole deal is he's a kid who can transform into a superhero with the powers of a whole pantheon of classical Gods, with Black Adam being his nemesis who can do the same. With the heavyweights like Superman and Wonder Woman already around, putting them in a different setting would make sense.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
