The new trailer gives some much-needed context into the Daughters of Atlas’ evil motivations.
Zachary Levi as Shazam!
Photo Credit: Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Shazam! Fury of the Gods just got a new trailer. After a brief showing at last year's San Diego Comic-Con, Warner Bros. has dropped new footage which gives away important plot beats — a lot of it — that, in a manner, could mark the end or the beginning of the next chapter in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The trailer, available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, feels overstuffed. Originally slated to release in April 2022, the sequel suffered multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually settling for a March 17, 2023, date. David F. Sandberg returns to direct, of course.
The trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens with a voiceover, as Kalypso (Lucy Liu), the second daughter of Atlas, sows a seed into the middle of a baseball stadium. The seed births a gigantic tree, whose roots and branches spread out into the city, destroying everything in its path. “We are at war. We will annihilate everything,” the ill-intentioned oldest daughter Hespera (Helen Mirren) warns Shazam! (Zachary Levi), at a local eatery. “The champions of this realm can do nothing to stop us.” The Shazam! 2 trailer then confirms it has been a “few years” since the young Billy Batson (Asher Angel) received superpowers in the original 2019 film, which was then distributed among his foster siblings, who've established themselves as the rightful protectors of the city.
The casting only sees one change — Grace Fulton is returning as Mary Bromfield/ Mary Marvel, albeit this time, she will be playing both the academically-driven sister and the adult superhero form. Previously, the latter, older version was portrayed by Michelle Brothe. Not sure how the film will handle the secret identity side of things. Hopefully, no glasses.
The Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer then delves into exposition territory, establishing why the Daughters of Atlas have decided to hunt our heroes. “Children stole the power of the gods,” Hespera explains, while taking physically disabled foster brother Frederick Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer) as a hostage. “You ripped it from our father's core.” The trailer then cuts into a montage of action sequences, with Shazam! charging headfirst into the dragon Kalypso is riding on — which he happens to call “Khaleesi.” A Game of Thrones reference? Rachel Zegler's Anthea, the third daughter of Atlas, makes an appearance much later in the Shazam! 2 trailer and can be seen casting a spell.
“I don't know how we fight powers like this,” Bromfield says, as the entire city gets enveloped in a blue, dome-like shield. At this point, the Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer presents the big wager, with Batson wanting his powers taken away, in hopes of saving the city and his beloved foster brother. “I spent millennia searching for a worthy champion,” The Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) says. “You know exactly what must be done.” The trailer ends with some shots from the final confrontation, which sees Shazam! fighting the aforementioned dragon, as a group of unicorns and other mythical creatures take over the city. As I said before, it is overstuffed and pretty much gives away the entire movie.
Deemed as a quality product by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, as he was planning to chart out a new future for the DCEU, it's clear that Shazam! Fury of the Gods will no longer include Black Adam in the fold. New DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran decided against a Black Adam sequel, which essentially cancels the universe's interconnectivity that star Dwayne Johnson had planned.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods strikes theatres worldwide on March 17.
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