Despite being a joke in the past, audiences saw a character they knew little to nothing about, played by Khal Drogo, in a story they hadn’t seen before.
That combination may have made Aquaman quite appealing and we could see something similar work for Shazam!
Watching Aquaman battle his half-brother doesn’t feel like thoroughly trodden ground in the way that seeing Bruce Wayne’s parents murdered does.
That not only frees Aquaman from expectation, but makes his story seem fresh and new.