Shazam 2: who are the Daughters of Atlas, these 3 villains played by Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler?

What is it about ? Continuation of the adventures of Billy Batson, teenager capable of becoming an adult superhero when he pronounces the word “Shazam!”.

Invested with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his friends are still learning to reconcile their teenage lives with their superhero responsibilities as soon as they turn into adults. But when the Daughters of the Atlas, a trio of ancient goddesses drunk on revenge, descend on Earth to recover the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy, aka Shazam, and his family engage in a battle. destined to retain their superpowers, stay alive, and save the planet. But can a gang of teenagers really prevent the destruction of the world? And, above all, does Billy even want to…?

The Daughters of the Atlas

Shazam must face in this sequel the Daughters of the Atlas, freely inspired by the Hesperides in Greek mythology (also called the Daughters of the Night in some stories). These three sisters, Hespera, Kalypso and Anthea, are formidable adversaries and have inherited certain devastating powers from their father, the titan Atlas:

• Eldest daughter of Atlas and Guardian of the Tree of Life, Hespera comes to Earth to avenge the death of her father and the gods of antiquity. Helen Mirren plays the role of the avenging goddess.

• Kalypso, Guardian of the Tree of Life and most fearsome Daughter of the Atlas, wields the Power of Chaos. She whispers terrible words to mortals to make them lose their minds and take control of their minds, as she seeks revenge against the humans who destroyed the gods. She is played by Lucy Liu.

• The new high school student, discreet and mysterious, who sympathizes with Freddy Freeman is none other than the millennial goddess Anthea. Thanks to her Axis Power, Anthea can influence the rotation of the Earth and throw away those who approach her. Rachel Zegler plays the role of the oldest high school girl in Philadelphia history (600 years!).

And 2!

Shazam! Rage of the Gods is the sequel to Shazam!, released in 2019 and which grossed over $367 million worldwide. Swede David F. Sandberg returns to directing: “What I was most excited about in this new installment was exploring how these teenagers evolve and collaborate as superheroes. And as you might expect, it’s not always an achievement. Like Shazam, they’re all still pretty candid, though some are more mature than others, and they’re living their teenage lives.”

Zachary Levi is also back in the title role: “As soon as David and Henry [Gayden] talked to me about the idea of ​​the second part, I was in for it. I thought that was exactly what was needed to build an extraordinary sequel. So I was very excited to find the actors and the technical team that I had greatly appreciated. And it’s also a downright fun role to play. I have the opportunity to be a superhero and, on top of that, he is very funny”.

Shazam 2: what does the 2nd post-credits scene refer to?

Bigger, louder, stronger

“It’s a much more ambitious film than the first”says director David F. Sandberg. “We really went all out, especially with the actors, the visuals and the sound effects. It’s a movie made for the big screen and great sound, and I’m very happy to have it distributed in IMAX, Dolby Atmos and all those great sound formats, which provides the best setting to watch it in. With speakers in the ceiling, viewers can hear thunder and lightning blaring above them, dragons flying and harpies on their heels who stick to their coattails! We must be able to receive this film in a sensory way”.

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Supersuit Evolutions

Superhero outfits have seen significant texture and fit adjustments, all made to harmonize the costumes:

• The short, hooded cape has been replaced with a longer, smoother cape, which allows for the addition of a zipper, thus saving the cast time when dressing.

• The Lightning is no longer a bulky battery-powered mechanism — it’s been sculpted to match body contours and digitally tweaked in post-production.

• Gauntlets, belts and shoes have been adjusted to each actor.

• Muscle prostheses have been reworked to be less oppressive.

• Mary’s superhero costume has been modified more than any other: taking inspiration from additional sources, a collar and a skirt have been added.

A familiar melody

Composer Christophe Beck signs the soundtrack. He is a regular in superhero films since he wrote the music for Ant-Man and its sequels, as well as the WandaVision and Hawkeye series. “These characters exude a beautiful innocence, combined with their heroism, and are bound by ties of family. The prospect of evoking these motifs in the soundtrack galvanized me. I composed a large and audacious orchestral score, in the great tradition of superhero movies, with an all-new theme that suits both Billy and the rest of the gang. I’m proud and happy that audiences around the world are discovering the film and its music!”he says.

We played with Zachary Levi and Helen Mirren: