The latest DC film Shazam! Fury of the Gods is heading to theaters very soon! So buckle up and check out what you can expect from this project below.
The first Shazam! movie is all about family
Shazam’s story is not that complicated. Billy Batson (Asher Angel) was just an ordinary kid who wandered from one foster family to another. When the Vásquez family took him in, he never suspected that they would care so much for him. Even more than any other person in his life before.
Although we didn’t get as much interaction between Billy and his new step-parents, the new step-siblings definitely make up for it. At first, Billy didn’t care about them. He just wanted to find his biological mother, who left him. When she told him that she no longer wanted him in her life, he was deeply hurt and disappointed. But then there came a time when Billy decided that he would take care of people who love him. Instead of seeking false recognition.
The first Shazam! was about learning what things are most important in life. But before accepting his role as a champion, and using the powers of the wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) in a good way, Billy behaved very irresponsibly. Just like any other hero, he had to learn about his newly acquired powers. But Billy and Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) decided that instead of a real hero, it was better to make a star out of Shazam (Zachary Levi). It didn’t take long before they realized that this was the wrong thing to do.
Another aspect of the first film that resonated perfectly with its comic book original was his concern for his family. As I mentioned earlier, he didn’t care so much about them until Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) found him and his newfound family was in danger. After that, Billy realized that he was just a selfish dork who constantly failed other people. But in the end, he became a loving brother who is willing to do anything to protect his family from any danger.
The sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods is sure to show us some of the same themes used in the first film but hopefully improved upon. As for Shazam and his comics history, family has always been a big part of it. Of course, we can’t make it all about the family. After all, this is a superhero movie, not another installment in the Fast & Furious saga.
It should be noted that Shazam! Fury of the Gods is not just focused on Billy, the story will have much more of a spotlight on his siblings as well. They should have a big impact on the plot. They’re now almost fully developed characters, and have superpowers as well.
Characters and themes in Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The main villains of this upcoming film are the Daughters of Atlas. They are Anthea (Rachel Zegler), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Hespera (Helen Mirren). They’re over 4000 years old. The daughters’ goal is to take away Wizard’s powers and destroy the world. Each of them has different powers that are sure to create many obstacles and kill people.
Kalypso is a Guardian of the Tree of Life. She holds the key to the Power of Chaos. Her mind-control powers are a tool that, no matter how it is used, is likely to cause a lot of pain and destruction. Hespera is the eldest sister who leads her siblings on a journey of retribution on Earth (all because of the death of their father along with other Gods). Hespera can control nature and manipulate the balance of the world.
As our own Lizzie Hill reported in June 2021, Anthea will (partially) serve as a love interest for Freddy. In the trailers, we could see that her interactions with him were hilarious and awkward at the same time. Their first meeting will be at school, but they will grow closer as time goes on.
Scenes with Anthea’s alter ego, Anne, are possibly designed to confuse our heroes and allow them to lower their guard. There’s also mention in the report of a scene where they’re together on a rooftop, and she’s in her armor along with the Shazam Family. That suggests that sooner or later her true identity will be revealed. One wonders if this will be a revelation of a good heart, because of her budding feelings for Freddy, or because she has to fight Shazam.
In Shazam 2, we should expect to learn more about the history of the Gods and their legacy. There’s one person who will explain it better in the film and is crucial to its story. When you watch the film, you’ll know who I’m talking about.
Old and New Gods were part of one of the canceled projects from several years ago. Ava DuVernay wanted to create a film called New Gods. It was meant to tell the story of Darkside, Old Gods and New Gods, Mr. Miracle, and many more. Unfortunately, this project was never greenlit, but I believe we will see part of its story in Fury of the Gods.
A slightly surprising returning character (mentioned in another of Lizzie’s exclusives from 2021) is the Wizard Shazam played by Djimon Hounsou. As you may remember, he was believed to be killed in the previous film. When we see him in the trailer, he appears to be in some ancient prison.
It’s possible that when the Wizard was disassociated, his soul traveled to the ancient plane for the Wizards/Gods. Maybe because he let his friends be killed by Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) he was sent to prison, or he was imprisoned by the Daughters of Atlas. However, we know that he will help the Shazam Family defeat the Daughters of Atlas in Fury of the Gods.
Fury of the Gods will return to the humor and family relationships of the first film
Billy’s respect for his powers, the history of other Wizards, and the importance of balance in the world are crucial. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will certainly explore these things. Especially now, with a whole new DC Universe on the way, we need to see how the past, present, and future collide in this universe.
The first Shazam! was really funny and mixed serious moments with comedy in a great way. We should expect the sequel to follow in its footsteps in much the same way. But I’m glad that the origin story of the Shazam family is out of the way. This allows us to get right into the action with funny jokes, great action, and sweet family relationships.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will premiere on March 17, 2023. Are you hyped about it? Did you like the first film? Let us know on our Twitter and The Cosmic Circus Discord channel.
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