It seems unexpected to have Dame Helen Mirren appearing in a major superhero movie, but she’s doing just that in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, playing Hespera, daughter of Atlas and the film’s villain. Just don’t ask her what it’s about.
In an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Helen Mirren said of the Shazam! sequel, “Don’t ask me about the plot, it’s too complicated.” Now that’s some sass! Despite this, Mirren was all in. “I wanted to do it because I loved the first Shazam! It was sweet and funny. I am not a big superhero-type person, but I loved the idea of it and happily signed up for the second one. It is great.”
Despite being a septuagenarian–Mirren is 77–the actress had something in common with some of her younger counterparts: she, like so many before her, didn’t like the costumes, which seems to be a frequent gripe of actors in superhero movies. At least Helen Mirren’s Shazam! costume does seem a bit looser than Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl one. “[Lucy Liu and I] are angry goddesses wearing unbelievably heavy costumes. It was very hot and uncomfortable and in fact, Lucy said at the end of the first day’s shooting, ‘They are trying to kill us,’ in all seriousness.” Liu is also playing a villain, Kalypso, the sister of Hespera.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ official plot: “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.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods comes to theaters on March 17th. It is one of four movies from DC arriving this year along with June’s The Flash, August’s Blue Beetle and December’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Mirren has played queens, Shakespeare characters and major industry figures, but a superhero villain has been out of her realm to date. But if anyone can enter the game on the cusp of 80 and pull it off, it’s Helen Mirren, who will certainly give Zachary Levi’s Shazam a run for his money.
Are you looking forward to seeing Helen Mirren in Shazam! Fury of the Gods? How do you think she’ll handle such a different role for her? Let us know below!
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed