Following on from our first look atShazam!and the rest of the Marvel family standing proudly in their new costumes, Helen Mirren has now been spotted adorned in superhero garments while filming upcoming DC sequelShazam! Fury of the Gods. The Oscar winning actress joins production as the villain of the piece, Hespera, and she looks every bit the demi-god in battle armour and crown.
Mirren’sHesperacostume slots perfectly into the world of DC, and seeing the esteemed actress portray one of the furious gods in theShazamsequel will likely be one of the movie’s highlights. Along with the armor, Mirren also has a sword at her side, a weapon she will no doubt wield during the movie, much to everyone’s delight.
Released in 2019, the firstShazam!introduced audiences to Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a troubled orphan searching for his biological mother, who is chosen by the ancient wizard Shazam as his champion. When he speaks the word “Shazam” he is transformed into Zachary Levi, his superhero alter-ego, who possesses “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”.
Directed by David F. Sandberg,Shazam!was praised for its lighter tone and overall sense of comic book movie fun in contrast with much ofDC’s movie output. Sandberg return to helmShazam! Fury of the Gods, a follow-up that the filmmaker has described as “definitely bigger” in scope when compared the first outing.
Not much is yet known about the direction of the sequel, but based on the title, the gods are not going to be happy. It is also looking likeShazam! Fury of the Godswill have a much bigger role for the titular hero’s adoptive family, all of whom were imbued with superpowers during the first movie’s exciting finale. Both Asher Angel and Zachary Levi return to reprise the roles of Billy Batson and Shazam respectively, with the likes of Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Fulton, Michelle Borth, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, D. J. Cotrona, Marta Milans, and Cooper Andrews also due to return. Jack Dylan Grazer will also reprise the role of Billy’s best friend, Freddy, with Adam Brody portraying the character’s adult superhero form.
Helen Mirrenmeanwhile has signed on to play Hespera, who will reportedly be one of the movie’s main antagonists. The daughter of Atlas and sister of Rachel Zegler’s mystery character, Mirren will also be joined by Lucy Liu as another of her sisters, Kalypso.
The firstShazam!was a big hit critically for DC and Warner Bros. with many looking forward to the continuing adventures of the titular superhero. Shazam is of course tied to anti-heroBlack Adam, a character that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will soon play on the big screen, with DC fans hoping to one day see them clash in live action.Shazam! Fury of the Godsis scheduled to be released in the United States on June 27, 2025. This comes to us courtesy ofJust Jared.
