Shaquille O’Neal and Sinbad Almost Cameoed in Shazam! 2

Shazam! Fury of the Gods was originally set to feature celebrity cameos from Shaquille O’Neal and Sinbad, referencing the two’s history with genies.

Taking to Twitter, director David F. Sandberg revealed that Sinbad was originally set to appear in the film. The idea of a Sinbad-led genie movie called Shazaam has become famous online as part of the “Mandela Effect,” which is essentially a phenomenon of false collective memory. As a result, Sandberg thought including the comedian in a real movie called Shazam! “would be fun.” However, according to Sandberg, Sinbad had to pull out of the film due to health issues

Check out the Shazam! 2 video below:

Sandberg then says that he went on to ask basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal to appear in the movie in Sinbad’s stead, referencing Shaq’s role as a genie from the 1996 fantasy comedy film Kazaam. Unfortunately, O’Neal also had to pull out of the film due to scheduling conflicts, leading to neither of the stars appearing.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now available in select theaters and digitally.