Shazam! Fury of the Gods actress Marta Milans believes there's a future for Mama Rosa and the "Shazamily" going forward in James Gunn's DCU reboot.
On the final day of January, to kick off 2023, producer Peter Safran and writer/director Gunn (co-CEOs of DC Studios) presented the first Chapter of the newly planned DCU.
Missing from the presentation was a Shazam! 3 announcement, but Fury of the Gods was mentioned as a highly-anticipated 2023 release.
Now that Billy Batson's latest adventure has hit theaters, many fans are wondering what the future could be for this mystical franchise.
Marta Milans on the Future of Shazam!
In an exclusive interview with The Direct's David Thompson, Marta Milans (known for her role as Rosa Vásquez in the live-action Shazam! films) went into detail describing how "there is a lot more to explore" with the "Shazamily."
The 40-year-old actress described how her character and Billy Batson could interact with other characters in this universe, specifically mentioning Batman:
"Listen, I think the future of the Shazamily is not written. I think there is a lot more to explore. I personally would love to see Billy having a smoothie or a chocolate milkshake with Batman, and then Mama Rosa showing up and being like, 'Hey, you guys, do you mind if I take the Batmobile for a spin? I just want to just check the tires.' ... So yeah, something warm and funny, which is part of what makes us stand out in a different way."
During its first weekend at the box office, Fury of the Gods earned over $20 million less than Shazam! opened in 2019. Factoring in the newly slated DCU line-up, Milans suggested that some fans may not want to "don't want to invest in [Shazam 2]" because of the current DCEU coming to an end:
"Maybe people are sort of wary of relating to one character thinking, well, maybe this is the last of that universe and now everything is going to be rebooted, and new and we don't want to invest in that."
Milans calls Fury of the Gods "a great movie" and hopes more moviegoers "will give it a chance" while it plays in theaters:
"Maybe there's a little bit of that, but I think even if there's a little bit of that, which is understandable, when people go watch the movie, just give it a chance because it's a great movie and you will tell your friends to go see it. And I'm a firm believer of that. We did a great story and I hope people will give it a chance."
Originally from Madrid, Spain, Milans admitted that she's "still pinching [herself]" about how she's in "a big superhero movie in Hollywood:"
"Filming a movie like this has been so incredibly exciting. Maybe imagine if you had told that little girl in Spain at age 14, that one day she'd be in a big superhero movie in Hollywood. And with dragons and unicorns and kids that have become superheroes, I'm still pinching myself. It's a total dream come true, and I feel it's important sometimes to just sit back and take it in because it has been a long road."
However, she did call Hollywood "an ungrateful business," but it's important to celebrate movies like Shazam 2:
It's a complicated business for everybody. It's an ungrateful business where one day you think things are going to get easier, and you go back in the line fighting like everyone else. And when you get moments like this to celebrate and be proud of something that's beautiful, and that is a good movie made with all our love, with a great message, what more could someone ask for?
After the moderate success of Shazam! in 2019, the sequel was greenlit in 2019. After several delays (in part due to the global pandemic), many fans wondered how Fury of the Gods would improve upon the foundation built in the first film.
Milans mentioned the visual effects that weren't present in the first film, but primarily highlighted the villainous Daughters of Atlas headlined by Helen Mirren:
"Well, I mean, obviously just the special effects and all the CGI stuff that we did not have in the first one. We have a lot of that in the second one, bringing the amazing villains that we have, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, that are just adding to all the flavor that the movie already has."
The actress went on to describe her surprise at how Shazam 2 was able to "one-up" its predecessor within an "oversaturated superhero world."
I think it's complicated in this oversaturated superhero world where it's just really hard to make a movie that's better than the last one, it's just complicated. And I think, I don't even know how, but when I first saw it and I thought, 'Oh my God,' because I wasn't expecting it. Usually sequels, they try to one-up the first movie, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they make it better by being bigger. And I think ours is an exception. I'm truly proud of sitting there and thinking, 'Wow, it is a bigger movie.' It feels louder and more fun and more special effects and more impressive action sequence and all that stuff.
Portraying Mama Rosa doesn't relate much to the special effects or action, but rather to the core family and emotional development of the story. Milans said a scene between her and Billy in Shazam 2 is what differentiates this film from other comic book movies:
But what's amazing is that the heart of the movie, which is the Shazamily, which is what truly matters, that it's all about family. It is impact that unity, that core, the Mama Rosa being the heart that brings everyone together. That scene that I have with Billy on that rooftop when he finally calls me mom, when I tell him that he'll never grow out of his home, imagine it's not just any superhero movie, man.
Furthermore, she went on the explain how she feels Fury of the Gods is not "just a superhero movie with dragons and special effects." She believes the film will have an impact across the globe, especially for kids that come from a "broken home":
“Imagine the impact that messages that have on children all over the world, which is what's amazing about being in movies this big, is that 80 countries in the world are seeing this movie. 80 million people from all different walks of life and backgrounds are seeing themselves portrayed in this movie. And especially if you're a young kid who doesn't come from a good family, who comes from a broken home, who doesn't come from a stable background, and you see yourself portrayed in a movie this size with a found family, with a foster family that aren't necessarily your biological siblings, that love one another, with a mom that's telling you, 'Hey, I might not be your biological mom, but I'm giving you a home forever.' That message, come on. It's not just a superhero movie with dragons and special effects. It has an important message, and I'm so proud of that.”
The Future of the Shazamily
Following the mid-credits scene of Billy Batson being recruited to the Justice Society of America, there is hope for Zachary Levi to return in the DCU. While some speculate that both post-credit scenes will likely lead nowhere.
Levi returning as the original Captain Marvel is a real possibility, but what about the rest of the Shazamily?
As Milans said, the heart and soul of these two films is the relationship between the parents and the assortment of foster children. One issue that could put a Shazam 3 in jeopardy is that all the child actors are aging out of their roles.
However, if James Gunn wants another Shazam! film in Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters it will happen (probably with a revamped story).
It is important to consider that Gunn and Safran could've vetoed the additions of both post-credits scenes, but they remained to tease the future. Look out for upcoming updates on the Waller TV series that was announced as a place for characters from the Justice Society or Shazam! could appear next.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
