Shazam, a superhero from DC Comics, serves as the inspiration for the upcoming American superhero movie Fury of the Gods. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and is being made by New Line Cinema, DC Studios, and the Safran Company as a follow-up to Shazam! Director David F. Sandberg recently reveals why the next DC Universe film is more inspired by Greek mythology than by comic books.
Shortly after Shazam’s release in April 2019, a sequel was in the works, with Gayden returning as writer. By December of that year, Sandberg and Levi (Shazam) were also expected back. In August 2020, the title and the remaining members of the returning cast, including Asher as Billy Batson, were announced. Early in 2021, Zegler, Mirren, and Liu were cast as the daughters of Atlas. Atlanta, Georgia hosted the filming, which started that May and ran through August.Shazam! On March 17, 2023, Fury of the Gods is slated for release in the US.
In an interview with Empire, Sandberg said that despite the success of the first Shazam! film on both a critical and financial level, he still had ideas he wanted to explore. The Daughters of Atlas, who serve as the movie’s antagonists, were among the Greek mythology-inspired characters he intended to develop for the sequel.
Sandberg explained, “We landed there because Shazam’s powers come from Greek gods. So what if those powers were stolen from the gods and now they want revenge?” Sandberg concluded by teasing what other characters will appear in the movie, such as a dragon he described as being “sort of made of wood and [having the ability to emanate] a fear effect.” He added, “It was really cool diving into mythology, rather than comic books.” In his final statement, Sandberg hinted at some of the other characters that would appear in the film, including a dragon that is “kind of constructed of wood and a dread impact.”
The Daughters of Atlas, Hespera and Kalypso, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, respectively, will face off against the World’s Mightiest Mortal in Fury of the Gods. Dr. Sivana, the evil character from the last film, won’t be appearing. Despite this, Mark Strong, who plays Sivana, gave Mirren and Liu his approval last year, stating, “I’ve had to sort of bite my tongue for so long. I’m very happy to give way to Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, who I think are going to make a couple of fantastic villains. I mean, judging by the performances by Emma Thompson and Emma Stone in Cruella, it’s time for the female villains, I think.”