We are now only weeks away from the first in the last of DCEU (DC Entertainment Universe) coming to theaters. Shazam: Fury of the Gods opens on March 17 in theaters.
This insanely action-packed sequel brings even more excitement, adventure and comedy, along with all-new realms, bigger threats, monsters and mythical creatures to our heroes. Now fully bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter egos.
But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their
superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world. But can a bunch of teenagers actually save
the day? Does Billy even want to…?
Now, it’s been a minute since we have seen Billy (and his fam. Spoiler alert – they’re all kinds of big. Like grown!
And the film doesn’t try to hide it. In fact, it embraces their ages.
When the film opens, Billy Batson has clearly grown up a lot, but even though he’s been part of the Vasquez’s foster home and family for a while now, he’s aware that everyone is growing up and their relationships are changing. Yet Billy is still trying to find his footing and his comfort zone in the shifting family dynamic.
Asher Angel returns as teenaged Billy, the Wizard’s Champion, who gained the ability to transform into an adult Super Hero by saying the word “SHAZAM!” With his superpowered alter-ego gaining a reputation for leaving a bit of a mess behind in the wake of his heroic acts, Billy— a little older but not a good deal wiser—struggles to be worthy of his immense responsibilities.
But, the arrival of vengeful gods putting the future of his family and mankind at stake forces Billy to try to be the hero they need.
Angel offers, “I grew up watching superhero movies, so just to be a part of the DC Universe and to kind of be a DC Super Hero is still mind-blowing to me. It really is a privilege, so when I finished reading the script for this one, I called our producer, Peter Safran, and I told him I thought the script was amazing, and I told him all the things that I loved about it. I was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go shoot this!’ I was pumped. I was ready.”
What had the actor primed and ready to go was the continuation of the story, but also the relationships between the characters and the cast. “It felt good being with the kids, spending time again with Jack and Faithe and Jovan and Ian and all of them. We all had a great time together and audiences are going to see the chemistry between us on the big screen again, that is something to look out for,” he promises.
Kid at heart Zachary Levi returns as Billy’s “adult” Super Hero counterpart. Safran attests, “Zac Levi is a 14-year-old boy trapped in a very handsome 6-foot-4 man’s body, a fact that has not changed since he did the first movie. His enthusiasm for the role and for playing what is now an 18-year-old boy is completely unabated.”
REELated:
Levi unabashedly agrees, adding that he was even more excited to return because, “In this film, you get a feel for the family dynamics and how Billy very much wants to be the glue keeping everybody together as well as a leader; it’s as if he feels that it’s his responsibility, as Shazam. But he’s struggling because he’s still a kid. He’s still young, he’s still trying to figure out what it even means to be a leader. And what’s frustrating for him is that Freddy wants to do his own thing, solo, because he wants to have his own identity as a Super Hero. Plus, Mary’s very involved with college and the other kids are into their own things. Even though Billy knows he’s part of the family, there’s a part of him that still doesn’t quite believe it, if you know what I mean?”
Such feelings are expected—normal—adds director Sandberg. “Billy has finally found what he was looking for in the first movie: a family. But now, he’s sort of terrified of losing that family, so he wants them all to work as a team all the time. He’s really struggling because they all have different wants and different needs, and even family can’t always be together. He especially doesn’t want Freddy to go off on his own missions.”
New Line Cinema presents A Peter Safran Production of A David F. Sandberg Film,
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which is set to open in theaters and IMAX internationally beginning
15 March 2023 and in North America on March 17, 2023.
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The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
