Hear ye, hear ye! A new God has arrived in the DC Universe!
Unfortunately… It’s a God that doubles as a villain. In the upcoming sequel to the 2019 film ‘Shazam’, Lucy Liu is set to take up the role of Kalypso, younger sister of the villainous Hespera (played by the iconic Helen Mirren) and second daughter of the god Atlas. The sequel, titled ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’ alludes to the fact that the sisters are out seeking vengeance – or maybe, just to shake things up with their “possibly ill intentions”. The addition of Liu seems to complete the current casting of the “three wicked sisters”, with Rachel Zegler’s character still unknown, rumoured to take on Shazam.
The superhero half of young Billy Batson, Zachary Levi, reacted to the news by welcoming Liu to the cast with the tweet:
And the hits. Just. Keep. On. COMING!!! 🙌 Welcome aboard @LucyLiu! Looking forward to a bit of fisticuffs with you and your sister. 🙃💃 https://t.co/KdjnCmwlEF
— Zachary Levi (@ZacharyLevi) April 12, 2021
Liu posted her own response to the news, jokingly issuing a threat to the ‘Shazam’ actor on her Instagram story with:
“I’M COMING FOR YOU @ZACHARYLEVI !”
Both Hespera and Kalypso do not have comic book counterparts but, if we’re going with the DCU’s penchant for Greek mythology, the sisters are likely to be based on the Hesperides.
As the daughters of Atlas, the sisters are also known as the “Daughters of the Evening” or “Nymphs of the West”. While they usually number three (named Aegle, Erytheia, and Hespere), some accounts say that there are as many as seven daughters. In Greek mythology, the sisters were responsible for taking care of a garden in the western end of the world, near the Atlas mountains in Africa. The so-called Garden of the Hesperides belonged to the goddess Hera, in which there was a grove of apple trees that bore golden apples. The golden apples were believed to give immortality to anyone who consumed them.
With ‘Wonder Woman’ introducing Ares and referencing Zeus, as well as the fact that Shazam’s powers are a mixture of six gods and their attributes (Solomon’s wisdom, Hercules’ strength, Atlas’ stamina, Zeus’ power, Achilles’ courage, Mercury’s speed), we can only guess what other elements of Greek mythology will be brought in! Atlas himself has made a few appearances in the DC universe (he’s sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes duels with members of the Justice League), but never as a father with daughters.
Let’s not forget the fact that the post-credits scene for the first Shazam film saw the villain Doctor Sivana meet an alien named Master Mind. How will this play into the plot of ‘Fury of The God’s’?Meanwhile, we can only imagine how the DCU will incorporate the sisters, their “possible” villainy and clash with the kid-turned-adult superhero when ‘Shazam: Fury of The God’s’ hits theatres in 2023!
*Cover image credits: @elementaryofficial
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