West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler joins Shazam: Fury of the Gods

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

According to The Wrap, West Side Story's Rachel Zegler has joined the cast of Shazam: Fury of the Gods in what is being described as a mysterious, but key role. A little vague, but that's certainly what we've come to expect from blockbusters over the years.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods will actually be Rachel Zegler's second big-screen credit, as the singer's first role will arrive with Steven Spielberg's West Side Story later this year. Zegler stars in the film as Maria alongside Ansel Elgort, and beat out 30,000 other applicants in the open casting call. Although the release of the film was later pushed back to December 10, 2021 due to COVID-19, Zegler told Vogue last year that the film serves as "a beautiful display of Latin joy and the way that young Latin girls deserve to see themselves—dancing around in pretty dresses and singing about loving themselves. It’s something that’s mattered so much to me, being Latina—singing ‘I Feel Pretty’ and meaning it. I hope that young people everywhere will know that their features are gorgeous and their culture is beautiful. I think that’s what it’s meant to my family."

The finale of Shazam! introduced the Shazam family as Billy Batson's (Asher Angel) foster family, which includes Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley, Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Ian Chen as Eugene Choi, and Jovan Armand as Pedro Peña, were transformed into superheroes themselves. We didn't get to see all that much of this family of superheroes, but that will change in the upcoming sequel. During a fan Q&A at DC FanDome last year, director David F. Sandberg says that the Shazam family will "definitely" be more involved in the upcoming sequel.

Now they’re all superheroes, they’re all a family with superpowers. And now we finally get to see that. We only got a glimpse of that in the first movie, so that’s something to look forward to.

Sandberg was also asked about who will be facing off against the Shazam family in the sequel, but obviously couldn't say much. "I can't really talk about villains or villain," said Sanberg. "But I think a lot of people will be surprised. It's gonna be a little unexpected." Shazam: Fury of the Gods is currently slated for a June 2, 2023 release.