Shazam: Fury of the Gods is bringing the Shazam Family back to the DC Extended Universe, but they'll have a few new characters to deal with. Instead of the villainous Dr. Sivana, the World's Mightiest Mortals are going up against the Daughters of Atlas, a movie-original group of goddesses. One of them is played by Westside Story star Rachel Zegler, but her identity is still unknown.
Her sisters take inspiration from actual mythological figures, and it's through that Zegler's character's identity may be surmised. However, given how tight-lipped she's been on the role, her character may be someone with firm ties to the wider DC Universe. Let's look at who Zegler could be playing in Shazam! 2 and what it means for the DCEU.
Which Daughter of Atlas Is Rachel Zegler in Shazam 2?
As mentioned, the villain group in Fury of the Gods is the Daughters of Atlas, made up of Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren as Kalypso and Hespera. These two are actual figures from Greek mythology, where they are also typically seen as daughters of Atlas. Atlas is also the god who gives Billy his vast strength in his Shazam form, so these goddesses' presence makes a lot of sense.
Other daughters of Atlas include the Hyades and Pleiades. The former were nymphs that brought about the rain. Zegler's character appears using her powers, with her hands lighting up in a symbol that resembles rain or the grand cosmos. The Pleiades also had ties to the rain and acted as the nursemaids of Dionysus. These figures became stars thanks to Zeus, further playing into the strange designs on Zegler's hands when she uses her powers. But while these characters might make the most mythological sense, it seems that the actress has confirmed that she's actually a much different goddess.
Rachel Zegler Is Playing Athena in Shazam! 2
Zegler recently stated in a San Diego Comic-Con video that she is playing Athena, which is strange given that she's supposed to be a daughter of Atlas in the movie alongside Mirren and Liu. Athena wasn't Atlas's daughter, but the favored daughter of Zeus and sister of the war god Ares. It's possible that the movie is changing Athena's heritage, but this would be incredibly strange given how well-known said origins are. Perhaps, in a reverse of Wonder Woman's modern origin story, Athena is not a child of Zeus, being hidden away to protect her from the King of the God's wrath.
Likewise, the best explanation is that, while she's associated with and possibly helping Kalypso and Hespera at the beginning of the movie, she's not an actual daughter of Atlas herself. After all, she wears modern clothes, whereas the two other goddesses look like figures that Wonder Woman and the Amazons would worship. Zegler has also stated that Athena is a complex character, which may stem from her not wanting to embrace her own godhood. Whether this is the case or she truly is a daughter of Atlas, the Shazam Family will need Athena's help to fend off the fury of the gods.
To see Athena's DCEU debut, Shazam: Fury of the Gods hits theaters Dec. 21.