Shazam! Fury of the Gods 2023 Movie Review
The first Shazam! movie ended with Billy Batson’s adopted brothers and sisters receiving the Shazam powers, making them the infamous Marvel Family. Fans who are well versed with the comics probably know a little about the Marvel Family and expect more about them in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Although no official plot has been revealed for this movie yet, the posters, trailers, and announcements have helped fans formulate theories about what they can expect to see in the upcoming superhero movie.
Hespera and Kalypso will be the primary antagonists of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. It might confuse some fans because neither of these characters has appeared in the comics or have a DC counterpart.
However, they are an integral part of Greek mythology, which would explain the title of the new Shazam movie. Along with the Gods, this movie will also highlight Billy’s struggles and his family, who are all coming into their own with the Shazam powers. This film will undoubtedly be more complex than the first one, and fans have already braced themselves for it.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the long-awaited sequel to the 2019 DCEU film Shazam! This film once again revolves around foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who gains the ability to transform into a superhero, played by Zachary Levi, every time he says the word Shazam. With the help of his foster siblings-turned-fellow superheroes, Billy fights crime and learns to love his new family.
The first Shazam! received plenty of critical praise for being more fun and lighthearted than the previous DCEU entries, so it’s no surprise Warner Bros. announced in 2019 that a sequel was in the works. Production has now wrapped on the movie, as of October 31, 2022, as confirmed by the director, so anticipation is at an all-time high. Therefore, we’ve created a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide that explains everything you need to know about Shazam! Fury of the Gods, including when it’s being released, who’s in the cast, and if another Shazam! movie will come out after this.
Even though Shazam! Fury of the Gods doesn’t include many new characters, they are still worth discussing. If you want to learn more about these additions to the cast, this info is what we can gather on them from trailers and interviews:
Helen Mirren plays Hespera, the first daughter of the Altas, who was an omnipotent otherworldly being known as a Titan and gave Shazam his stamina. Although Hespera doesn’t have a comic book counterpart, she is inspired by characters from Greek mythology called Hesperides. These beings are nymphs, mythical spirits of nature who take the form of beautiful women. Hesperides are nymphs of evenings and sunsets and children of Atlas known for protecting a garden with a golden apple tree, alternating between helping people who stumble upon this garden and manipulating them. However, the Hesperide in Shazam! Fury of the Gods is definitely a villain.
Lucy Liu plays Kalypso, another daughter of Atlas. Much like her older sister, Kalypso isn’t based on any pre-existing characters from DC Comics, but she is based on a pre-existing character from Greek mythology named Calypso. In Homer’s Odyssey, Calypso is a nymph and child of Atlas who protects the island of Ogygia. After Odysseus is marooned on Ogygia, Calypso falls in love with him and keeps him there for seven years. Odysseus later prays to the gods for help and in return, they make Calypso free him from her grasp. In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Kalypso is also a villain and even though the first trailer doesn’t show her enchanting her foes with song and dance like in the Odyssey, she does grow giant vines in a stadium.
Rachel Zegler plays Anthea, the youngest daughter of Atlas. Similar to her sister, Anthea is not adapted from DC Comics but rather from Greek mythology. In the latter, she is a princess of the Greek city Thespiae who has a son with Hercules. In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, however, Anthea is not a mortal but rather a Titan. The first trailer also shows Anthea next to Grazer’s Freddy Freeman, both screaming at the dragon that’s coming towards them, so maybe she switches sides at some point in the film.
