Now that Shazam! is opening a week ahead of time, it’s possible that some of the audience that missed out on Shazam! opening weekend will check it out instead of Hellboy.
Shazam may not be one of the A-list DC Comics heroes, but at least he has the benefit of being part of an existing franchise.
The David Harbour-starring vehicle definitely stands at a disadvantage, which is a shame because questionable tone aside, it is different from the usual cinematic superhero fare we receive.
While this Hellboy reboot is undoubtedly intended to be the first of a new film series or perhaps even an entire cinematic universe, as much as the character and his mythology has a dedicated fanbase, it’s still overall a niche following.