Mr. Mind Should Be Shazam 2's Main Villain (But Not The Only One)
In the forthcoming film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, there have been hints that the villainous lineup will include multiple villains, although the exact characters and casting are as yet unrevealed. While a stinger in the original Shazam! suggested that the evil genius worm, Mr. Mind would return as a character, there is no guarantee that it will be for this picture, especially since, as a CG character, he does not require an actor to look a certain way in order to appear on screen. Using Mr. Mind would benefit the sequel however, as a long-standing villain for in the Shazam comics and a unique antagonist-type that has not shown up in any other DCEU properties.
As an almost entirely cerebral antagonist, Mr. Mind works well with other villains, devising plans and acting as a puppeteer for more physically able characters. With at least three new villains ready to do evil and challenge Shazam, there doesn't seem to be any shortage of opposition. Including Mr. Mind as a purely mental foe can complement rather than overrule these new enemies - a film that was just about Shazam doing direct battle with Mr. Mind in the form of a tiny worm would likely be very short indeed.
A chief advantage to having Mr. Mind as a villain in this sequel is that it opens the door to a different kind of character growth than Billy Batson had to undertake in the original movie. Where the theme of Shazam! required Billy to learn that he needed other people in his life, facing off against a villain whose efforts are more taxing on the mind would call upon him to use more judgment and thought than raw power. With a title like Fury of the Gods it's likely that Shazam and his family will have to deal in raw power as well, but as the Mr. Mind from the comics has mind-controlling powers, Shazam may have to find ways to stop someone without hurting them, and find ways to free others from Mr. Mind's mental grip.
Just as significant, however, is the lighter tone that using Mr. Mind could allow the film to take. Powerful though he is, Mr. Mind is still something of an absurd villain, and this would allow the movie to explore some of the funnier sides of the Shazam franchise. This balance between silly and serious themes can make more serious plot points hit harder, and with the DC films expanding their horizons, this could even impact the shape of the DCEU's emerging multiverse - a serious issue indeed, which would need a considerable counterbalance to maintain a fun tone for the film, in order to avoid being bogged down in the greater implications.
Having Mr. Mind appearing as an influential background villain in this movie offers a great balance of credible threat and comic-book absurdity, that can help DC achieve the lighter tone that it has forecast for future films. It can also allow for great action sequences - a mind-controlling worm is a great excuse to have heroes battling heroes, or villains using new tricks and techniques. Ever since Spider-Man 3, a shadow has been cast over superhero films with multiple villains. There's no better film than Shazam! Fury of the Gods to work to lift it.
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