Get ready to see Rachel Zegler everywhere over the next couple of years. Following her breakout role in West Side Story this December, the former YouTube star is sure to make a big splash at the next awards season. Beyond that, the young actress already has two major blockbuster roles lined up. Zegler is set to bring Snow White to live-action in Disney’s upcoming remake and she’s joining the DCEU in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
We’ve known that Zegler was making her comic book movie debut in the sequel since last year, but details on the role she’s playing have been intriguingly slim. For the first time, the star has now spoken a little bit about her character for to the press. While talking to Variety, Zegler confirmed that she is portraying the third daughter of Atlas, the younger sister of Hespera and Kalypso, to be played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu.
“There’s 3 goddesses,” Zegler said. “I am the youngest of 3 goddesses, there’s 3 sisters. We come and shake up the Shazamily a bit. It’s such a fun movie… I’m very excited to see the finished product.”
Zegler’s comments affirm what Mirren had previously let slip about her co-star’s character. But while we know how the three goddesses relate to each other, it’s worth pointing out that the name of Zegler’s role is still yet to be revealed. Hespera and Kalypso, who will serve as the follow-up’s two main villains, are actually original creations for the DCEU. However, the secrecy surrounding Zegler’s presence suggests she might be playing a retooled version of a familiar character from the comics.
Unlike her on-screen sisters, though, Zegler will prove to be an ally to Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson and his Shazamily. Among them is adoptive brother Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer, with Adam Brody as his superhero form), who Zegler’s character looks to get pretty close with, going by the first-look BTS footage revealed at DC FanDome last fall.
Unfortunately, we’ve still got a while until Shazam! Fury of the Gods gets here. It’s not due to blast into theaters until Feb. 2023.
