Shazam 2 Casts Fast & Furious Actress as the Demi-God Villain Hespera
Shazam first released in 2019, and the fans loved it. Even the critics were in favor of it. They labeled the movie to be an “amicable action movie with a tint of humor”. The humor put the movie on a different pedestal. The film was a critical success and held its own at the box office. As a result, it raised speculation about what the sequel may hold. The movie revolves around the adventures of Billy Batson and his adoptive family, imbued with the magical powers of the wizard Shazam. Shazam also offered Henry Cavill’s Superman cameo.
Shazam: Fury of the God, the sequel, will not feature Henry Cavil reprising his role as Superman. Director David F. Sandberg confirmed Cavill was originally supposed to shoot that cameo but bowed out before the film was completed. A bevy of recent rumors has suggested the Man of Steel might make an appearance in the Shazam! the sequel, which is currently due to be released in 2023. Shazam! director David F. Sandberg will return to helm 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.
Levi returns as the kid-at-heart superhero who is bestowed with the powers of six gods: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. While Shazam is a formidable champion, Billy is still just a fun-loving kid trying to navigate high school while learning how to use his powers. 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.
In very interesting news, someone new has joined the cast of Shazam 2. 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).
Mirren won an Oscar and a BAFTA for her performance in The Queen, a Tony Award and an Olivier Award for the same role in The Audience, three BAFTA Television Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and five SAG Awards for various roles. Her diverse body of work includes a starring role in the upcoming anthology series Solos as well as the film F9, reprising her role as Queenie from the latest Fast & Furious installment.
We have seen Helen Mirren in many television shows and movies such as – The Good Liar, The Queen, Red, Prime Suspect, Caligula, etc.. Now, it is time for her to mesmerize us with her skills in Shazam 2 as the Demi-God villain. 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 of an $80-$100 million budget, making it the third-lowest grossing film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).
Fans were particularly disappointed with the news of Henry Cavill not reprising his role of Superman in Shazam 2. According to Variety, Cavill will not be returning to the role for Shazam 2, and it’s still an open question if the actor will return to the cape and tights at all in the future. Cavill first took on the role in 2013’s Man Of Steel, the first entry in the DCEU. He reprised the role in Zack Snyder’s polarizing Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Joss Whedon’s ill-fated cut of Justice League. But the future of Superman on the big screen remains uncertain. Cavill’s Superman was installed several regimes ago, with the more recent DC Films brass gravitating toward more earnest.
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 on June 2, 2023.