Helen Mirren is about to hop into the DC cinematic multiverse, as the actress has been tapped to play the villain Hespera in the upcoming Shazam sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Hespera is the daughter of Atlas and will be the main villain for the film as Zachary Levi returns to the title role and DC works to expand the success it saw with the first film.
In a rare move, there doesn’t actually seem to be a comic book character that Hespera is based on. Those with a deeper Shazam lore may be able to uncover something, but as of right now it appears that this will be an entirely new character for not just the movie but DC properties as a whole. Obviously, as the daughter of Atlas, she (meaning Hespera, but also possibly Helen Mirren) will be somehow connected to the powers that Billy Batson obtained when he became Shazam. One of those powers is the stamina of Atlas, so maybe she will be coming to take back what is rightfully hers or something? Remember also that the conclusion of Shazam saw a Shazam family formed from Billy’s step-siblings, so she could be after them too.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam film is still in the works, and it is unclear if the Black Adam character will play any role or have any cameo in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
The film has been delayed multiple times due to COVID-19, like every other movie, but Shazam! Fury of the Gods seems to now be on track to release in June of 2023.
