Rachel Zegler and Lucy Liu Talk ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, Joining The DC Universe & More – Interview
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 blockbuster hit, Shazam!) is now in theaters!
The film features a star-studded cast including Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler, who bring their exceptional acting skills to the forefront. Liu has been a household name for over two decades, with notable roles in hit films such as Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill. Zegler, on the other hand, is relatively new to the scene but has already made a name for herself with her captivating performance as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the musical, West Side Story.
In this interview, Liu and Zegler discuss their previous work leading up to their roles in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and share their experiences working on the new superhero flick.
Check out our interview with Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler for Shazam! Fury of the Gods below:
Liu is no stranger to working in the action film genre, so we asked what was it about Fury of the Gods that attracted her to join the project. Liu responded, “I think that being a part of the DC Universe was very exciting for me. Obviously, we were not playing superheroes, but it also took the pressure off. And having sisters and being goddesses was, of course, very attractive. But you know, the idea that we had a plan and a mission, and knowing that we were here to save our world. Also, she got to ride a dragon. So, Kalypso on a dragon?! I was in.”
As for Zegler, she wasn’t originally an actor. Zegler first gained notoriety from belting Lady Gaga’s “Shallow” at her high school. We asked Zegler what it was like returning to a school. She said, “It was kind of nerve-racking to go back into high school hallways because we were in an actual high school. It’s pretty hard to build a high school set that has all of these operating hallways and a cafeteria; that was all at one school in Atlanta. They were using all of these extras and I didn’t go to a co-ed high school – it was really nerve-racking. All of a sudden I was like ‘There are boys here? And I’m allowed to wear my own clothes and I’m not in a uniform.’ It was really amazing.”
Zegler and Jack Dylan Grazer were one of the emotional heartbeats across the film. Zegler briefly spoke about that her initial reaction to reading the script and shared, “What I loved so much about my first read of the script was the relationship that Anthea has with Freddy. It’s so amazing in how he kind of shifts her perspective on humanity by just being himself–and how she sees a hero within him whether he’s Adam Brody or Jack Dylan Grazer, and I thought that was so beautiful. And it’s so much fun to play with Jack. He’s such a firecracker and he’s got such an amazing imagination. There’s no dull moment, truly.”
An element associated with being a goddess is grand powers. So, when Zegler and Liu were asked if there were any powers –whether it be their character’s own or a power from one of the Shazamily members– Liu said, “I think I would just have to take the staff and figure it out later. because the staff will be the one to decide ultimately, right? I mean, Kalypso has the power of chaos but it can only go so far.”
Zegler chimed, “I kept saying teleportation for the entire junket but I do like my power, my power’s fun and having the power of access is cool. Shooting it, I felt very silly where I’m just [hold up hands] and the world moves. They were like, ‘Just picture it’ and I was like, ‘Okay…this looks like a sound stage in Atlanta to me.’ But ya, I also think that the Shazam powers that Zach has and all of them have are really cool.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is now playing in theaters.
