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Shazam! Fury of the Gods director David F. Sandberg has taken to Twitter to remind audiences that sequel fatigue has been upon us for four decades. Sandberg, who directed both the original Shazam! and its 2023 follow-up, shared an image of a cinema marquee in which four of the five titles displayed are part of a franchise — namely that of Scream 6, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Avatar: The Way of Water and his own Fury of the Gods.
“I keep seeing people sharing this image and saying there are no original films anymore,” Sandberg wrote in the accompanying caption, before pointing out that a similar marquee of franchise installments might’ve been displayed in 1983. “But 40 years ago that sign could have said: Jaws 3, Superman 3, James Bond 13, Star Wars 3, Twilight Zone: The Movie,” the director wrote.
Seemingly preempting backlash, Sandberg admitted that while he doesn’t “disagree with there being too many sequels and reboots,” the presence of franchise films in cinemas is not “a new phenomenon.” He continued: “And thankfully, just like 40 years ago, there are still great original movies being made as well.”
Alongside Fury of the Gods, Sandberg has directed films like the currently in-development Lights Out sequel, as well as the Annabelle prequel, Annabelle: Creation. While sequels were certainly around during the period Sandberg speaks of — including then-new installments of blockbuster franchises like Terminator and Indiana Jones — users were quick to retort that their presence wasn’t quite as prevalent as today.
“There were about 13 sequels or remakes… released in 1983,” one Twitter user wrote. “This year we’re at 15 before May even ends.”
Fury of the Gods’ contribution to sequel fatigue is one of many criticisms that’s been leveled against the film since its premiere earlier this year. Last month, in response to the sequel’s lacklustre box office performance and negative reviews among critics, Sandberg said that he was “definitely done with superheroes for now.”
Meanwhile, Zachary Levi — who stars as Shazam!’s titular superhero in both installments — has likewise responded to the film’s poor reception. Earlier this month, Levi issued a “f*ck those guys” message to those who’ve criticized Fury of the Gods, and previously urged audiences to boost the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score.