Forget Wonder Woman: Shazam 2's Best Cameo Flew Under The Radar
The following article contains spoilers for "Shazam! Fury of the Gods"
"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" has swooped into theaters, ready to offer moviegoers an entertaining Shazam (Zachary Levi) adventure. However, one of the most buzz-worthy moments from the film actually centers on another DC staple: Wonder Woman, as portrayed by Gal Gadot. Despite the cancelation of "Wonder Woman 3," she makes a brief cameo in the film, and the DC fandom is understandably in awe of her unexpected appearance. Although, some would argue that another guest appearance the sequel has to offer is just as worthy of recognition.
A cameo you might have missed is of none other than director David F. Sandberg. He shows up briefly once the Daughters of Atlas release a myriad of monsters onto the world, and he doesn't stand much of a chance. Even though he tries to escape, he's attacked by a harpy and presumably killed. No big monologue, no entertaining action sequence, just a tragic death at the hands of a mythological creature. All in all, it's a pretty quick sequence, so it's plain to see why it flew under the radar compared to the emergence of Diana of Themyscira.
This moment may be quick, but as Sandberg has shared, it took some effort to make his cameo a reality.
Sandberg put in the (wire) work for his Fury of the Gods cameo
David F. Sandberg is a filmmaker through and through. From his many short films to theatrical efforts like "Lights Out" and "Annabelle: Creation" — as well as the "Shazam!" duology — he has shown his penchant for behind-the-camera work time and time again. As one could imagine, directing doesn't exactly prepare one for stunt work, meaning that to make his "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" cameo happen, he had some learning to do. That involved some training in the realm of wire work.
On March 10, 2023, Sandberg teased his blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment via Twitter. After warning "Shazam!" fans about potential spoilers, he posted a video of himself in a subsequent tweet practicing his big scene. As he tries to run away from an invisible monster, the wires pull him into the air. The video goes into slow-motion as he screams in terror and flails his limbs about. Sandberg then safely returns to the ground — much more safely than his "Fury of the Gods" counterpart — as the video ends.
If you'd like to try and spot David F. Sandberg's "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" cameo, the feature is now playing exclusively in theaters.