Helen Mirren joins Rachel Zegler, Zachary Levi in Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Hollywood veteran Helen Mirren will be playing the main villain in DC Films and New Line’s upcoming superhero movie Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Mirren, the star of films such as The Queen, Hitchcock and Red series, will play Hespera, the villainous daughter of the god Atlas, reports Variety. According to Variety, West Side Story star Rachel Zegler is also expected to join the sequel along with Mirren. As per reports, they will play sisters in the film. Zachary Levi will return as the titular superhero for the movie, which is a sequel to the 2019 hit “Shazam!”. Levi is playing the adult version of teenager Billy Batson who later transforms into a superhero. The follow-up will continue the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!” is struck by the Living Lightning of the gods and transformed into his adult superhero alter ego, Shazam. Actor Asher Angel will reprise his role of teenager Billy Batson. Shazam! was a big hit and earned $366 million globally. Its sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods is expected to come out in June 2023. This is not the first time when Mirren will be a part of an action franchise. Earlier, she has played the role of Magdalene “Queenie” Shaw in F9: The Fast Saga. The actress also played an assassin in the RED franchise. Apart from Shazam! sequel, New Line is also working on Black Adam. It features Dwayne Johnson as the classic Shazam! villain. (With inputs from Press Trust of India)