Shazam! Fury of the Gods: Helen Mirren Teases Her Villain Role

In just a matter of months, movie fans will be treated to the premiere of Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The sequel to DC's beloved 2019 film is definitely upping the ante in some cool ways — including through the new additions to its ensemble cast. Among them is Helen Mirren, who will be portraying the villainous Hespera in the film, marking Mirren's first official foray into the superhero world. In a recent interview with AP Entertainment, Mirren spoke about the experience of working on Fury of the Gods, teasing that it was "wonderful" — but not without its challenges.

"It was wonderful," Mirren revealed. "For me, work – of course, work is when making money, of course, – and also it's my artistic expression and all of that. But it's also fun. And, there are certain things you do just for the fun of it. And, certainly doing Shazam is one of those jobs that was enormous fun and terribly hard work as well. Very hot in Atlanta. My costume weighed, I think, thirty pounds; it was so heavy. But great, great fun to do that kind of a movie. Just fantastic."

What is Shazam! 2 about?

In Shazam! Fury of the Gods, when Billy Batson and his foster siblings, who transform into superheroes by saying "Shazam!", are forced to get back into action and fight the Daughters of Atlas, they must stop them from using a weapon that could destroy the world in which they must travel in order to make peace with the Gods because of Billy taking their powers for granted.

The film stars Asher Angel and Zachary Levi as Billy Batson / Shazam!, Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield, Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene, Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena, D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro, Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez, and Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez. New cast members also include Rachel Zegler in a currently-unknown role and Lucy Liu as Kalypso.

Are you excited to see Helen Mirren in Shazam! Fury of the Gods? What are you most hyped to see in the DC sequel? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will now be released exclusively in theaters on March 17, 2023.