Lucy Liu has joined the cast for Shazam! Fury of the Gods in the role of one of the primary villains. The sequel film will see Asher Angel and Zachary Levi reprise their earlier roles playing Billy Batson and Shazam, respectively.
Now, The Wrap has reported that Lucy Liu will also be joining the cast of the DCEU film. She will be playing the role of Kalypso, the second daughter of Atlas and sister to Hespera. Besides Helen Mirren, who will be playing Hespera, Liu will be one of the main antagonists, most likely joining her in a power duo.
The actress is prominently known for her role in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol.1 and the Charlie’s Angels movies. She also played Joan Watson in CBS’s Elementary. This will be her first dive into a major contemporary franchise like DC.
Even though it’s a long wait until the sequel comes out, the film is building up quite the ensemble cast, with additions like Mirren, Liu, and Rachel Zegler. Shazam! 2 will follow the 2022 release of Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, which recently started filming.
The latter was mainly pitched to build up Shazam’s universe and explore it in depth. Black Adam will also introduce members of the Justice Society of America along with the titular anti-hero character.
Ever since the success of Shazam!, with praise from fans and critics alike, the DCEU had wanted to further develop the character’s story.
However, it was initially planned to be a part of a much broader vision, crossing over the narratives of Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman.
But after the franchise took a huge hit with an unsatisfactory outcome of some of its projects, giving Batson’s narrative some space was perhaps for the best.
Furthermore, DCEU working on more and more independent films like Black Adam and Shazam! 2 could open up a new universe in the franchise.
Following the monotonous lineup of movies like Suicide Squad and Whedon’s Justice League, both of which were heavily criticized, Shazam! came along like a breath of fresh air.
Not only did it bring a comedic style and light-heartedness, something never seen before in the DCEU, but the brilliant performances by the actors were also praiseworthy. Shazam! paved its way to a successful box office and is considered one of the best DC films alongside Wonder Woman.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be released on June 2, 2023.
Source: The Wrap
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