Shazam! The much-anticipated sequel to the first DC superhero film, Shazam! Fury of the Gods is finally flying its way to theaters — but not until Christmastime.
The action-packed flick was initially set to be released on April 1, 2022, but several delays caused the film to be pushed back to 2023. The production company eventually moved up the release date to December 21, 2022. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max 45 days after it hits theaters.
Zachary Levi is back in the titular role in the film as the alter ego of teenager Billy Batson. Asher Angel also makes his return as Billy himself, while Adam Brody, Meagan Good, Michelle Borth, Ross Butler and D.J. Cotrona are again playing the superhero versions of Batson’s siblings.
Djimon Hounsou appears as the Ancient Wizard who notifies Batson that the “daughters of Atlas are coming” in the film’s trailer. The “daughters” in question are played by Lucy Liu, as Kalypso, and Helen Mirren, as Hespera.
West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler is also seen in the teaser using some form of powers, although the specifics of her character have been kept tightly under wraps.
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, however, Zegler revealed her character’s name, Anthea. Appearing in a video with Mirren — who called Anthea “one of the daughters of Atlas” — Zegler revealed that she had “so much fun” portraying the character. It’s currently unclear what Anthea has in store in the sequel, but the tight-lipped nature about her character seems to signify that she’ll play a pivotal role in the action.
In addition to the cast, director David F. Sandberg returned for the second movie while screenwriter Henry Gayden again penned the script along with his new writing partner, Chris Morgan.
In the opening moments of the trailer, Batson laments to a presumed offscreen therapist that he doesn’t believe he’s on the same level as fellow DC superheroes The Flash, Aquaman and Batman. “I’m just … me,” he says before admitting that he feels like a “fraud.”
The boy-turned-superhero, however, is prompted to shake off those imposter syndrome feelings, as he and his foster siblings are again called to battle by the wizard — this time to fight against the villainous daughters of Atlas who seek out the teen for his misuse of the gods’ powers.
The trailer features some fun easter eggs as well. When Batson has a one-on-one with Hespera, he points out how he’s seen “all the Fast & Furious movies” — an obvious nod to Mirren’s role as Queenie in several of the flicks from the franchise.
Director Sandberg’s Annabelle doll from his eponymous horror films also makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in a scene where Batson realizes he’s talking to a pediatrician instead of a therapist.
Speaking at the Comic-Con event in July, Sandberg quipped, “It’s a sequel now, so we got more money, and we spend it all!” The Sweden native also noted on Twitter in June 2022 how the movie was “MUCH bigger” the second time around — so much so that he didn’t “even care about spoilers.”
Levi was also present at Comic-Con and remained cryptic when asked by a fan if Superman would appear in the flick. “I can neither confirm nor deny allegations such as these,” he replied.
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