Lucy Liu Revealed Why She Chose 'SHAZAM! Fury Of The Gods' As Her First Superhero Movie Ever
Lucy Liu is an action-movie legend so it's hard to believe that SHAZAM! Fury Of The Gods is her first superhero film — but she says she broke that streak for good reason.
Some of Liu's biggest movies feel like they're ripped from a comic book, whether it's Kill Bill Vol. 1 or Charlie's Angels. She also directed an episode of Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix a few years back, but she always held back from joining a capes-and-costumes movie until now.
So what made her choose SHAZAM 2?
As the movie's hero Billy Batson might say, it's all about family.
Liu recently told Narcity that she agreed to play Kalypso, one of the villainous Daughters of Atlas, because she liked the dynamic between the character and her sisters Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler).
“It was presented to me as something that had these three sisters that work together to avenge their father," Liu said on the red carpet at the film's Toronto premiere. “And I love that there’s an intention and a mission for them.”
Liu also leaned into the idea that everyone’s a hero — or at least not a villain — in their own eyes, even when they’re super-powered killers like Kalypso, in the film.
“Ultimately, they’re not the supervillains, they’re the protagonists in their own story,” she said. “I think that makes it stronger and more interesting, not just for us to play but also for the audience.”
The sequel to 2019's SHAZAM! sees Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his super-powered adult self (Zachary Levi) leading his foster family of lightning-fuelled kids against the Daughter of Atlas, a trio who are out to reclaim the magic that makes the "Shazamily" special.
Dame Helen Mirren leads the Daughters of Atlas as Hespera, while Lucy Liu is the chaotic middle sibling Kalypso and Rachel Zegler Anthea is the youngest at a spry 6,000 years old.
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS Official Trailer 2Warner Bros. Canada | Youtube
Liu says it was fun to play a character who can turn people against each other with a simple whisper, although she certainly wouldn't want those powers in real life.
"I live in New York so I don't think I want any more chaos than I have right now," Liu said. "I would love the power of calm, but I don't know that I have that."
You can catch SHAZAM! Fury Of The Gods exclusively in theatres on March 17.
