While I was visiting the set of Shazam! last year, director David F. Sandberg spoke about a scene in the film where Zachary Levi and Mark Strong’s characters end up in a fight in a toy store that includes shots of action figures of DC characters.
According to Sandberg, some DC toys were off-limits…
Shazam! doesn’t appear to have many direct references to the Justice League, but the fact that it is part of the same universe meant it came with some restrictions.
One of the most fun parts of comic book movies is the way they build a cohesive universe and make both explicit and oblique references to the rest of the film franchise.