Helen Mirren is a vengeful goddess in Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer

[Karlston]

Also: Dwayne Johnson appeared in costume to reveal new Black Adam teaser footage.

Official trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

 

The DC panel at San Diego Comic-Con highlighted the first official trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the sequel to 2019's Shazam!, both starring Zachary Levi. As a bonus, Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) wowed the crowd by making a grand entrance in full costume to introduce exclusive new teaser footage from his (related) upcoming film Black Adam.

 

The 2019 Shazam! introduced a teen foster kid named Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who has landed in a group home after running away from another one to hunt for his birth mother. He saves his new foster brother, Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), from bullies, and when they chase him into the subway, he's transported to the Rock of Eternity. There, the ancient wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) chooses Billy to be his new champion. When Billy says "Shazam!" he transforms into an adult superhero (Levi); repeating the word returns him to his Billy form. Billy/Shazam defeats a supervillain and shares his power with all his foster siblings, making his own family of superheroes.

 

The film grossed $366 worldwide and received mostly positive reviews. In his 2019 review of Shazam!, Ars Tech Culture Editor Sam Machkovech concluded, "It's fun. It's funny. It's fine," despite a few nitpicky flaws. "The end result is a superhero film that leans brazenly into an Indiana Jones vibe (complete with a John Williams-caliber score) along with a healthy dollop of Deadpool-for-kids gags about the wider DC Comics universe."

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods deals with the consequences of Billy sharing his power with his siblings. The trailer opens with Shazam discussing his insecurities; he feels unworthy compared to Batman and Aquaman, for instance. His life gets even more complicated when the ancient wizard shows up again to warn him that the Daughters of Atlas are coming for him, and the fate of our world naturally hangs in the balance.

 

The daughters include the incomparable Helen Mirren as Hespera and Lucy Liu as Kalypso. They disapprove of human beings harnessing power they believe should be reserved for eternal beings. "Children stole the power of all the gods," Hespera says, her voice dripping with contempt. "This is very personal, Billy." The Daughters of Atlas wield immense power, and Billy/Shazam really doesn't know how he and his family can possibly prevail. But the wizard's whole schtick is that everyone can be worthy of such power if given the chance.

 

"Now go fight for your family," he concludes.

 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods hits theaters on December 21, 2022.

Make way for Black Adam

San Diego Comic Con sneak peek teaser for Black Adam.

 

Dwayne Johnson has been fighting for Black Adam to see the light of day for more than 10 years, so making his grand entrance in costume meant a lot to him. "To be here at Comic-Con, Hall H, representing a DC hero, an anti-hero, is a dream come true," he said. "My goal is to usher in a new era in the DC universe."

 

As we've reported previously, canonically, Black Adam is an ancient Egyptian named Teth-Adam, whom the wizard Shazam chooses to be the latter's successor. Teth-Adam was presumed to be pure of heart, but once he was endowed with the powers of Shazam, he became corrupt, killed the ruling pharaoh, and took over the Egyptian throne. Shazam was unable to revoke those powers, so he exiled Teth-Adam to the most distant star in the universe.

 

It took Teth-Adam 5,000 years to fly back to Earth, at which point he encountered the Marvel Family. Eventually, one family member tricks him into saying "Shazam" again, and Teth-Adam reverts to his human form, aging 5,000 years instantly. This is the story depicted in Shazam, when the wizard explains what happened to Billy.

 

Black Adam's premise is that an exiled Black Adam re-emerges some 5,000 years after his banishment and is thrust into the modern world, where his ruthless, take-no-prisoners approach to combating evil-doers doesn't quite fit in with the prevailing cultural mores. The film will also introduce the Justice Society of America into the DCEU. Pierce Brosnan plays Kent Nelson, aka Doctor Fate, a JSA member who wields a magical helmet. Noah Centineo plays Atom Smasher, a JSA member who can manipulate his molecular structure to change his size and strength. Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman, an archaeologist and the reincarnation of an Egyptian prince. His trademark wings give him the power of flight. And Quintessa Swindell plays Cyclone, the granddaughter of the Red Tornado, who controls the wind and can generate sound.

 

The first trailer for Black Adam dropped last month, but it was really more of an extended teaser. The teaser shown at Comic-Con offered a few more details. It showed explorers entering a tomb, and the team is startled when a mysterious cloaked figure lands in front of them. They open fire, and the figure blasts them into oblivion with supernatural powers before leaving the cave. "My powers are not a gift, but a curse born out of rage," we hear Teth-Adam say.

 

The rest of the teaser introduced the JSA members as they attempt to stop Black Adam before he extends his swath of destruction even further. And yes, that's Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) making a cameo; apparently, she's the one responsible for assembling the JSA.

 

Black Adam is slated for theatrical release on October 21, 2022.

 

Listing image by YouTube/DC/Warner Bros.

 

 

Helen Mirren is a vengeful goddess in Shazam! Fury of the Gods trailer