The second trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods dropped today and it’s full of action, humor and even some heart. It feels like we’ve been waiting for the Shazam! sequel forever (the first film released in 2019 and the sequel was originally supposed to premiere last year before several COVID-19 related delays). Thankfully, the sequel is almost here and it looks like it just might be worth the wait.
The first Shazam! film was an amusing departure from many of the DC films of that era, with a focus on humor and levity. Many fans love Zachary Levi because he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously and he set the tone for a film about a family of superhero children. However, at times, the story leaned too far into the silly humor and that turned off some audiences.
From the looks of this trailer, the sequel has taken the best parts of the first film and learned from some of its weaknesses. From the first glimpses of the sequel, the absence of the padded muscle costume on Levi was a welcome change. And now, with this new trailer, it certainly feels like they have done a better job balancing the fun humor with some drama-filled action.
The most welcome additions to the story are Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler as the Daughter’s of Atlas. The accomplished trio should bring a weight and presence to the story as foils for the Shazam! superhero family. Good villains are critical to elevating a superhero’s story, and with all due respect to Mark Strong, the first film was lacking in that regard.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods comes out at an interesting time in the DCEU, with James Gunn and Peter Safran having taken over the creative reigns late last year. We already saw that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman were casualties of the new regime, and it remains unclear whether Shazam! as a franchise will continue after this one. Likely, how well the film does will play a large role, and there’s certainly room for the Shazam! family to retain its corner of the revamped DCEU going forward.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods premieres in theaters March 17, 2023. Check out some images from the film and additional details below!
From New Line Cinema comes “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam.
Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.
“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” stars returning cast members Zachary Levi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) as Shazam; Asher Angel (“Andi Mack”) as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer (“It Chapter Two”) as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody (“Promising Young Woman”) as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good (“Day Shift”) as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”) as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey (“Annabelle: Creation”) as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman (“This Is Us”) as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen (“A Dog’s Journey”) as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand (“Second Chances”) as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans (“White Lines”) as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews (“The Walking Dead”) as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou (“A Quiet Place Part II”) as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”), with Lucy Liu (“Kung Fu Panda” franchise) and Helen Mirren (“F9: The Fast Saga”).
The film is directed by David F. Sandberg (“Shazam!,” “Annabelle: Creation”) and produced by Peter Safran (“Aquaman,” “The Suicide Squad”). It is written by Henry Gayden (“Shazam!,” “There’s Someone Inside Your House”) and Chris Morgan (“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “The Fate of the Furious”), based on characters from DC; Shazam! was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. Executive producers are Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, Marcus Viscidi and Geoff Johns.
Joining director Sandberg behind-the-camera are director of photography Gyula Pados (the “Jumanji” franchise), production designer Paul Kirby (“The Old Guard,” “Jason Bourne”) and editor Michel Aller (“Shazam!,” “The Nun”). The music supervisor is Season Kent (“DC League of Super-Pets,” “The Addams Family 2”) and the music is by Christophe Beck (“Free Guy,” “Frozen II”). Visual effects supervisors are Bruce Jones (“Aquaman,” “It”) and Raymond Chen (“Alita: Battle Angel,” “The Meg”). The costume designer is Louise Mingenbach (“Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”).
New Line Cinema presents A Peter Safran Production of A David F. Sandberg Film, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is set to open in theaters internationally beginning 15 March 2023 and in North America on March 17, 2023.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
