For many, this would be an emotionally awkward time to be a fan of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film franchise, what with all the reshuffling and restructuring going on behind the scenes.

With James Gunn taking the helm of the cinematic universe, it seems likely that the superhero films viewers have grown to love will no longer be continuing in their current form.

As such, it is reasonable to watch “Shazam: Fury of the Gods” – directed by David F Sandberg, who also helmed the 2019 predecessor – with a sense of sadness, given that you have no idea if those involved in it will be returning at any point.

These sentiments aside, what is it about? Well, Shazam (Zachary Levi) and his team of fellow superhero siblings have made a name for themselves in their home city of Philadelphia.

But, in his effort to keep them together, Shazam has unwittingly driven a wedge among his teammates, who each wants to do his or her own thing.

And if disunity isn’t enough, a major threat (because there’s always a threat) looms over the horizon: the Daughters of Atlas, portrayed by the evergreen Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and newcomer Rachel Zegler.

It turns out that the powers possessed by the Shazam family used to belong to members of the Greek pantheon – and they now want them back. Jeng-jeng-jeng.

Now, the first “Shazam” was a burst of colour in an otherwise grey and drab DCEU when it first came out. It seemed to recognise that the very idea of superheroes was silly, so it took itself light-heartedly, to its own benefit.

“Fury of the Gods” tries to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps, but by doing so, it plays it safe for the most part. The film doesn’t quite tread new ground, choosing instead to stick to plot threads and devices audiences have already grown more than accustomed to.

This, however, doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining; quite the opposite, in fact, with several well-placed jokes earning chuckles from the audience.

In the lead role, Levi is a wonder to watch as he oozes childlike energy whenever he is on screen, befitting the fact his character is the alter-ego of teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel).

Indeed, Shazam still has the mind of a teen, leading to rather hare-brained moves on his part – but at heart, he is a well-meaning hero looking out for his loved ones.

Of course, a hero is only as good as his or her villains. The previous film had Dr Sivana (Mark Strong), an intimidating bloke with an axe to grind. What about this one?

Well, it is virtually impossible to call any performance by the great Dame Mirren middling. She could play a mute French mime and it would likely be an Oscar-winning performance.

Thus, it is a shame she is not given much to work with as Hespera, the eldest of the three Daughters of Atlas – though Elysium knows she makes the most of it.

Hespera is a jaded, ancient being who wants nothing more than to restore the dying Realm of the Gods to its former glory. The de-facto leader of the group with a distaste for humanity, she’s still more reasonable than Liu’s Kalypso.

Speaking of which, here’s a fun fact: in Greek mythology, Kalypso is one of the kinder and more benevolent deities. Here, she is the bloodthirsty one, and Liu plays her with flair and menace – though some depth to her otherwise cookie-cutter character would’ve been welcome.

The youngest (a mere 6,000 years old) sister is Anthea, who has a soft spot for humanity. No prizes for guessing what plot thread she is given here. Hint: it involves a boy.

Now for the spoiler-heavy section of this review. On the whole, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, if predictable, movie – and therein lies one major gripe concerning its ending.

Death should be taken seriously in any film, even more so where superheroes are concerned. Superman dying in “Batman v Superman” and coming back to life in “Justice League” made his death pretty pointless.

A similar situation occurs here, which is a shame. If director Sandberg or writers Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan had had the guts to go through with it, it would have made much more of a lasting impact.

Truly, with “Shazam” possibly not having a third instalment, a permanent send-off would have been fitting for the bumbling, big-hearted hero. But one suspects that killing off a title character for good would have been too much for the executives at DC.

As of press time, ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.