The following contains spoilers for Shazam: Fury of the Gods, now playing in theaters

2023’s Shazam: Fury of the Gods introduced the powerful Daughters of Atlas, villainous new threats to the DCEU. Most DCEU villains were adaptations of characters from DC Comics. However, the Daughters of Atlas were completely original characters inspired by mythology. They weren’t the only original characters that have appeared in the DCEU either.

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Most adaptations include original side characters and background additions. However, there are a few original characters who either greatly impacted the plot or the characters they supported. The Suicide Squad introduced new versions of characters like Ratcatcher while Peacemaker created a daughter of Amanda Waller who could play an ongoing role in the DCU.

8 Calvin Swanwick

Man of Steel (2013)

Harry Lennix as Calvin Swanwick in the DCEU

General Calvin Swanwick (played by Harry Lennix) first appeared as the leader of the U.S. Army’s forces against General Zod in Man of Steel. He became the Secretary of Defense in his later appearances in the DCEU, though there was more to the character than fans realized.

Swanwick was an original character until Zack Snyder’s Justice League streamed on HBO Max. The rerelease revealed new details that weren’t confirmed in continuity. Zack Snyder’s Justice League revealed that General Swanwick was actually J’onn J’onzz, the shape-shifting Martian Manhunter. Swanwick still played a large role in the DCEU even before his reveal as J’onzz.

7 Hespera

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Hespera on the poster for Shazam Fury of the Gods

Helen Mirren joined the DCEU in 2023 as Hespera, the eldest Daughter of Atlas who threatened the magical heroes of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. She is one of the most powerful original DCEU characters due to her mastery of elemental magic. Mirren also gave one of the best performances in Shazam! Fury of the Gods as well.

All of the Daughters of Atlas have incredible magical abilities, which were further strengthened after they acquired the mythical Staff of the Gods. Hespera’s unique mastery of the Power of Elements gave her a number of different abilities that included air-based telekinesis and earth-based petrification. Hespera led her sisters on their dark mission, though had a light side as well.

6 Milton

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Milton from The Suicide Squad

James Gunn’s first step into the DCEU was 2021’s The Suicide Squad. It performed a soft reboot of the franchise that focused on Amanda Waller’s Task Force X while featuring a unique sense of humor that resonated with fans. The titular group mostly featured villains like Harley Quinn and Bloodsport alongside anti-heroes like Rick Flag and Peacemaker.

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However, the team was also joined by a Corto Maltesan freedom fighter named Milton, played by Julio Cesar Ruiz. He helped Task Force X for most of their mission, though some members (and fans) didn’t notice his contributions until his violent death.

5 Anthea

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Rachel Zegler's Anthea holds out her hands offensively as they glow in Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The youngest Daughter of Atlas was Anthea, played by Rachel Zegler in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. However, she was potentially one of the most powerful due to her unique reality-altering abilities. Thankfully, Anthea was also the least vengeful of her sisters.

Anthea went undercover at Billy and Freddy’s high school, hoping to draw out the powerful Champions of Shazam. She was a relatable character who was the first to speak out against her sister’s darker plans. Anthea could also move reality around her temporarily. She knocked Shazam out of the battle with a building and evaded danger by shifting entire city blocks.

4 Alistair Lord

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Max Lord with his son Alistair in Wonder Woman 1984

The character of Maxwell Lord has a long and dark history in the comics. His inclusion as the villain in 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 touched on their shared history, as Wonder Woman infamously snapped Lord’s neck prior to the Infinite Crisis event. The character was slightly different in Wonder Woman 1984, which has become one of the DCEU's most underrated movies.

Maxwell Lord's altered character was largely due to the inclusion of his son. The original character of Alistair Lord (played by Lucian Perez) didn’t necessarily play a large part in the film, but he greatly impacted Maxwell Lord and his ultimate fate in the DCEU.

3 Ratcatcher 2

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Ratcatcher 2 in Suicide Squad 2 summoning her rats, which completely surround her

While a version of Ratcatcher had appeared in the comics already, The Suicide Squad introduced a completely new take on the character known as Ratcatcher 2 (played by Daniela Melchior). She took on the role after the death of her father, another original take on the Ratcatcher.

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Ratcatcher 2 was Cleo Cazo, who grew up on the streets with her father and his army of rats. She inherited his rat-controlling invention, though it led to her imprisonment after her father’s death. The original DCEU character was one of The Suicide Squad’s most popular new characters, and fans are hoping to see more of the sleepy villain in the future.

2 Kalypso

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

Lucy Liu as Kalypso in Shazam! Fury of the Gods with the dragon Ladon behind her

Lucy Liu portrayed Kalypso, the third and most dangerous Daughter of Atlas from Fury of the Gods. She turned on the other Daughters of Atlas, who had hoped to reclaim their magic to rebuild the destroyed God’s Realm.

Kalypso chose to destroy Earth with that magic instead. She used her terrifying Power of Chaos to control and manipulate others along with the Power of Access to control the terrifying wooden dragon Ladon. Kalypso proved to be the true menace of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, showing that DCEU’s original characters could stand up to other comic villains.

1 Leota Adebayo

Peacemaker (2022), Season 1, Episode 1, “A Whole New Whirled”

Leota Adebayo on the poster for Peacemaker

James Gunn introduced a potentially important piece in the developing DCU named Leota Adebayo on HBO Max's hit Peacemaker series. Danielle Brooks played the rookie support member of the task force assembled by Amanda Waller to take down the covert alien threat of the “Butterflies.”

However, Leota Adebayo was actually the daughter of Amanda Waller, leader of the government organization behind Task Force X. While Waller had a number of children in the comics, Peacemaker created the character of Leota Adebayo. She is the first of Waller’s children to really become involved in her mother’s work, which could mean big things for the DCU.

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