Shazam 2 Casts Helen Mirren as DCEU Villain Hespera

[ShadeShadow]

Helen Mirren joins the cast of Shazam: Fury of the Gods to play a new DC Extended Universe villain. The original Shazam! hit theaters in 2019 to overwhelmingly positive reviews. With Zachary Levi's fun-loving superhero in the lead, the film was a decent box office success thanks to its moderate budget. Warner Bros. and DC Films immediately began working on Shazam 2 with director David F. Sandberg returning to the franchise.

The development on Shazam: Fury of the Gods has taken longer than expected since the franchise includes a young cast that will look noticeably older. Levi is returning to star as the superhero-half of the Shazam character, while Asher Angel will continue playing the normal teenage persona of Billy Batson. Shazam 2 is set to feature much more of the Shazam Family, Batson's adopted family who assembled with powers at the end of the first film. The movie won't be out in theaters until 2023 at the moment, but the studios are already working on adding to the ensemble.

According to THR, Helen Mirren has now joined Shazam: Fury of the Gods' cast. She is set to play one of the villains of the sequel. Her character has been identified as Hespera, the daughter of the god Atlas in Greek mythology. This is the latest franchise Mirren has joined in recent years, as she also became part of the Fast & Furious franchise in 2017.

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The addition of Mirren as Hespera could shine more light on other cast members and the film's plot overall. THR's report notes that Mirren's Hespera could be the sister of Rachel Zegler's unknown character. This would line up with previous reports that Shazam 2 will include three sisters as the villains. Mirren would fill the role of the older sister and Zegler would be the youngest, which would mean one more sister needs to be cast for Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

Fans have wondered what godly fury Shazam could face in the sequel, and the reveal of Hespera playing a role indicates that Shazam 2 will explore Greek mythology. Hespera was one of the Hesperides/Atlantides, who are described as "Nymphs of the West." Hespera is one of the original three sisters along with Aigle and Erytheis. The connection to Greek mythology could allow the movie to be tied to the Wonder Woman franchise, which established Olympian gods like Zeus and Ares. Hespera's father, Atlas, has not been established in the DCEU mythology, though, so that will be new ground for the sequel to cover. If Hespera and her sisters are involved with Shazam: Fury of the Gods, there is no telling what other Greek gods could appear.

Shazam 2 (2023)
Release Date: Jun 02, 2023