Entertainment

DC’s Failed Superhero Franchise Resurrects on a Free Streaming Service

Published

1 week ago

30 November 2025

Before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the reins of DC, the legacy studio was struggling with its IPs. Characters like Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, whose first outing fetched a billion dollars, failed to make an impact with the sequel, The Lost Kingdom. Ezra Miller’s The Flash standalone movie, which promised a multiverse, did not charm the audience to theatres, just like Dwayne Johnson’s “hierarchy-changing” Black Adam. Among those that failed to save the genre is Zachary Levi’s Shazam! franchise, which had a similar fate but is now climbing the streaming charts.

Shazam! and its sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods have climbed up Tubi’s top 10 charts, per Flix Patrol. The franchise, directed by David F. Sandberg, finds the original movie sitting at the 10th spot, following Fury of the Gods at the 9th spot. Shazam tells the origin story of teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who transforms into adult superhero Shazam (Levi) and fights evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong). The movie had good reviews, as fans and critics agreed it was a nice blend of humor and heart. It has an 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics, while fans gave it an 82%.

The sequel, Fury of the Gods, came out in 2023 and wasn’t received well, earning $134.1 million worldwide on a $110 million budget. The movie follows Billy and the Shazam family on a new adventure, but the plot and performances weren’t favorably compared to the original movie. The divide in the film’s reception can also be seen in its Rotten Tomatoes scores, as critics gave it a 49% rating while fans gave it an 85%.

What’s Happening With ‘Man of Tomorrow’?

Ever since Gunn and Safran took over DC, a new era has begun with titles like Superman, Peacemaker Season 2, and the animated series Creature Commandos. The David Corenswet-led big screen spectacle breathed new fire into the universe and the fandom. A sequel, Man of Tomorrow, is on the schedule sooner than expected, with it recently revealed that the movie’s big bad will be Brainiac.

Fans have been expecting the villain to make a live-action debut for some time now, and already have fancast Gunn’s frequent collaborator Chukwudi Iwuji in the role. While no actor has been announced, Iwuji previously responded to fan-casting:

“Could I see myself doing it? If James picked up the phone and called me, absolutely. Is it a cool role? You’re like the 12th person that’s mentioned it. So, I obviously went online and looked and went, ‘Oh, wow. This guy is cool.’ So, could I see myself if I had the opportunity? I’d jump at it.”

Shazam! and Shazam! Fury of the Gods are both streaming on Tubi. Man of Tomorrow is set to debut in theaters on July 9, 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.