The in-development Shazam! sequel, titled Shazam: Fury Of The Gods, has found its main villain. Helen Mirren has signed on to play Hespera in the film, which will see Zachary Levi reprise his role as the titular hero.
So who is Hespera? She has no comic book counterpart, but she’s reportedly the daughter of Atlas. If you recall, the Shazam alter-ego, when activated by Levi’s Billy Batson, includes the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, the speed of Mercury, and the stamina of Atlas.
So Hespera has a god-like stature and will likely not take too kindly to Batson essentially stealing her father’s powers. Mirren is acting royalty at this stage – she’s literally a Dame – so she’s a perfect fit for the role.
Rachel Zegler, who will soon be seen in Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story remake, was previously cast in the sequel in February in what’s reportedly a crucial role, but one that’s being kept under wraps. David F. Sandberg is returning to direct with Henry Gayden writing the script.
The sequel was originally set to arrive in November 2022, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting schedule changes, the film will now hit cinemas in June 2023. Sandberg previously assured fans that this delay will not impact the shooting schedule, and won’t run the risk of aging any of the younger actors up past a believable point.
#Peace.Love.Shazam
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