Bow before your new goddess. Helen Mirren has joined the cast of Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mirren will play Hespera, who is the daughter of Atlas and the sister of Rachel Zegler's unnamed character. While sources indicate Hespera — who does not have a DC Comics counterpart — will be the villain of the film, it is possible that both Mirren and Zegler's characters could end up on the side of Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his superhero counterpart Shazam (Zachary Levi).
Released in April 2019 in the United States, Shazam follows the 14-year-old Billy, who is gifted the ability to transform into the adult hero Shazam (Levi). With the help of his foster brother Freddy, Billy is able to master his powers — including flight, super speed and lightning — to defeat the evil Sivana (Mark Strong), who allied himself with the Seven Deadly Sins. The film grossed $365 million at the global box office off an $80-$100 million budget, making it the third-lowest grossing film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), ahead of Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984.
Shazam! director David F. Sandberg will return to helm the sequel, which is set to start filming in May. Originally scheduled to hit theaters on April 1, 2022, the movie has been delayed twice, with the most recent release date being June 2, 2023.
DC and Warner Bros. have several DCEU films set to hit theaters before Shazam! Fury of the Gods, including James Gunn's The Suicide Squad on Aug. 6, Andy Muschietti's The Flash on Nov. 4, 2022 and James Wan's Aquaman 2 on Dec. 16, 2022. Other films in development include New Gods, Batgirl, Static Shock, The Trench, Wonder Woman 3 and Zatanna. A TV spinoff series based on The Suicide Squad character Peacemaker is also in the works at HBO Max.
Shazam's mortal enemy, Black Adam, is also getting his own movie starring Dwayne Johnson. While Black Adam lost its release date due to the coronavirus pandemic, filming is set to begin this coming spring.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! Fury of the Gods stars Zachary Levi as Shazam, Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Marta Milans as Mama Rosa, Helen Mirren as Hespera and Rachel Zegler in an undisclosed role. The film arrives in theaters June 2, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter