It has been four years since Shazam! came out. This time the Shazam family faces the Daughters of Atlas, who are powerful gods. The film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren.

This is going to be a spoiler free review. I enjoyed the movie. I did not see it on opening day. I saw it a few days later. I usually try to see some of these movies on opening day. I was aware of some of the reviews but I did not read any. While watching the movie I could understand some concerns, but I did enjoy the movie. I think the movie is fun. It has a youthfulness to it which makes sense given the heroes are kids and teenagers. Even when they turn into their adult counterparts, it’s still kids and teenagers in those roles. Zachary Levi does a great job as Adult Billy Batson/Shazam. At the end of the day Adult Billy Batson is really a seventeen year old in an adult body. That is what makes the Shazam movies fun. The adults get to act like kids. It is also obvious the actors who play the adult Shazam family had a blast making the movie. That is what adds to the fun of these films.

The whole cast does a great job. There is a lot more screen time for the adult Shazam family. It has a good story. The heart of the story is family. Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren all do a great job as the Daughters of Atlas. They each have their own distinct personalities. It was fun to see Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the villains of the movie. It has been a while since I have seen Lucy Liu in this type of project. It seems she has not done an action movie in some time. It was a blast to see Helen Mirren who has quite the resume. I recently saw Helen Mirren in F9: The Fast Saga and she will be reprising her role in Fast and Furious 10.  Rachel Zegler is a rising star, and this shows it. She does a good job in her role and I can see her have a bright future ahead of her. She will be starring in the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and she will be Snow White in Disney’s live version of the animated classic.

One thing that made the headlines was the fact a recent commercial had spoiled a major cameo. I had not seen the commercial prior to seeing the movie. I was unaware who the appearance was from. I figured it out once watching the movie. I am glad I did not see the commercial or read any articles talking about it. I am also aware that the credit scenes were considered polarizing and raised some fan concern. Without spoiling the credit scenes, I will say I understand why there is some concern. Obviously, when making Shazam! Fury of the Gods there were hopes and ideas for a Shazam! 3. That is in question since the DCEU will be rebooted and become the DCU. Shazam has not been mentioned in terms of how it would fit into the bigger picture. It has not been said if there are plans for the character regardless if its Zachary Levi or a different actor. A lot of things are in question when it comes to the old roster. Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck are the only confirmed actors not reprising their roles as Superman and Batman. They will be recast. At this point in time, it has not been stated which heroes will be the same actors and which ones will be recast. Viola Davis, John Cena, and Steve Agee have been confirmed to be staying in their roles. None of their characters are heroes. Peacemaker is sort of a hero but I am mostly referring to the Justice League. Even Black Adam, who was played by Dwayne Johnson in a solo movie is guaranteed to be in the DCU let alone it being Dwayne Johnson. There are two credit scenes. I recommend staying through the whole entire movie. The credit scenes do set up a future. We will just have to wait and see if it will pay off or if it will be something else that is left open ended.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a fun movie. It has a strong ensemble, and it has a lot of heart. It is also funny. Superhero movies should be fun. Not every movie in the genre needs to be dark and brooding. It is a solid sequel and I hope there will be a third film to continue the stories of the Shazam family.