'Man of Steel' & 'Batman vs. Superman' productions put possible Shazam/Captain Marvel movie on hold indefinitely

The story of Shazam, one of the most beloved comic book characters of the DC Universe, once had a television show but didn't properly depict the great story. So when hearing that a film was almost made after Superman Returns flopped but was canned anyway, we can imagine why fans are a little sore over the news. It turns out that Man of Steel is to blame in regards to why this film never came to be. The would-be Shazam director, Peter Segal, recently spoke about why this movie hasn't happened yet.

"After Bryan Singer's 'Superman Returns,' it seemed like there was a moment in time where Shazam was going to see the light of day," Segal explained. "That's when you heard those stories. Now that Superman is being invigorated and going up against Batman, I think it's difficult for DC to figure out how to launch this character in the wake of Superman's resurgence."

Segal went on to explain why Superman projects put a stop to Shazam.

"At its core, it's a lot like Superman. There's this boy trapped inside of a superhero's body. He's still a boy inside, so there's this opportunity to play a lot of humor with the action," he said. "Originally, Stan Lee brought me 'Fantastic Four' a number of years for that very reason. I always have the question when people bring me superhero properties, 'Why me?' With Stan, he said, 'It's because there's a sense of humor within all Marvel characters.' These characters are flawed and, within those flaws, there is humor. When Toby Emmerich came to me with Shazam, it was because of those same reasons. To draw from that humor and to mix it with great action and pathos. I've always loved Shazam, but I don't know if it's going to see the light of day anytime soon."

Read more about Segal's projects HERE!