When Shazam released in 2019, many viewed it as a breath of fresh air for the DC Extended Universe. The fun story, bright colors, and earnest message wowed audiences and charmed critics. While not performing as well as Wonder Woman or Aquaman, the film was successful enough for Warner Brothers to greenlight a sequel to be released in 2023.

Related: Every DCEU Movie Ranked From Worst To Best (Including the Snyder Cut)

Now that WB and DC are gearing up for that sequel, they have started announcing who is returning from the first film, and more excitedly, who will be joining Billy Batson and his foster family in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Zachary Levi As Shazam

Zachary Levi as Shazam

A major point of praise for the first film was Zachary Levi's performance of the titular character. His carefree, boisterous attitude and surprising action skills were enough to make WB sure he stuck around for the sequel.

Surprisingly, this is not Zachary Levi's first superhero role as he appeared in Thor: The Dark World as The Warriors Three-member Fandreal. Like several other actors in the MCU, fans consider Levi's talents were wasted in The Dark World, so it was cathartic for them to see the voice of Flynn Rider star in his own superhero flick. His electricity, speed, strength, flight, and near-invulnerability make him a legitimate powerhouse in the already stacked superhero ranks of the DCEU.

Asher Angel As Billy Batson

Asher Angel As Billy Batson

Audiences who saw Shazam in 2019 might not have been familiar with the leading actor at the time, Asher Angel. Before the film, he mostly starred in Disney Channel and Nickelodeon sitcoms (and one appearance on Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders), so many see this as Angels' breakout role.

Related: DCEU: 5 Actors Considered To Play Shazam (& 5 For The Wizard)

Billy's character arc about accepting his family added a lot of heart to Shazam and truly made it stand out amongst the other films in the DCEU. Billy's past also made him a much more in-depth character than audiences may have been initially expecting, and fans can expect to see his journey continue in the sequel.

Helen Mirren as Hespera

Helen Mirren in a black dress

The legendary Helen Mirren has recently joined the cast of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, as the nymph Hespera. Her role is interesting because Hespera, or any of the Hesperides for that matter, does not appear in any DC comics.

They are actually the daughters of Atlas, a character from Greek Mythology who has appeared in DC comics but is not currently slated to be in this movie. Given how Greek mythology has been a part of both Wonder Woman and The Snyder Cut, it will be interesting to see how the new Shazam film will add to this mythos in the DCEU.

Lucy Liu As Kalypso

Lucy Lui in 80s style

The 2nd of the Hesperides and sister of Hespera, Kalypso is the most recent addition to the cast of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods. Lucy Liu is no stranger to action roles, as her arguably most famous role was O-Ren Ishii in the Kill Bill films. She makes a great addition to the cast of the new DCEU movie, and fans are interested in how her character will play into the Shazam lore.

While audiences have seen interpretations of Kalypso before, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, we are not sure how the new film will adapt the character. She was made famous by The Odyssey, where she trapped Odysseus on her island for 7 years. While nothing is confirmed, it is safe to say the Shazam sequel will stray drastically from this story.

Jack Dylan Grazer As Freddy Freeman

Jack Dylan with a video camera

Billy Batson's foster brother and comic relief Freddy Freeman was arguably the heart of the film. Played by IT star Jack Dylan Grazer, his role in Shazam was very different than the sheltered hypochondriac in the Stephen King adaptation. Grazer and other cast members were confirmed to be returning from their appearance in the Shazam 2 DC Fandome panel.

Freddy serves as Billy's introduction to the superhero world, as he is a fanatic about the heroes in the DCEU. This gives way for many references (and one infamous post-credit scene). He brought a lot of great jokes to the film and had a surprisingly in-depth character arc. His relationship with Billy is the core of the movie, and that bond will hopefully continue in the sequel.

Adam Brody As Freddy (Super Hero Form)

Adam Brody Shazam Cameo

Coming in at the end of the film, and as a surprise to the audience, the OC's Adam Brody plays Freedy Freeman's superhero form. It's a genuinely sweet moment in the film, given how much of a fan Freddy was of superheroes, and it serves as a nice conclusion to Freddy's character arc. Along with flight and super strength, Freddy's superhero form grants him super durability, making him near invincible.

Adam Brody also credits this film for a resurgence in his career, and that momentum will be carried in the next film, where it has been confirmed that he will have a significant increase in screen time, given that his appearance was a glorified cameo.

Marta Milans As Rosa Vasquez

Marta Milans

Billy's foster mother Rosa Vasquez is set to return in the next Shazam film, played by her actress in the first movie Marta Milans. Her performance bought a lot of kindness and care to the role, and it will be interesting to see where they take her character in the next film.

There has been no confirmation if Victor Vasquez, played by Cooper Andrews, will play him again but given Milans' return, it is safe to say both Vasquez parents will come back for Shazam! Fury Of The Gods.

Rachel Zegler As Unknown

Rachel Zegler

A newcomer, not just to the DCEU but to films in general, is Rachel Zegler, being cast in an unconfirmed role. She was cast as Maria in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story, but that film got delayed an entire year due to Covid-19 despite being completed, and Zegler will now make her debut in December 2021.

Warner Bros have not officially stated who Zegler will be playing, many fans are speculating that she will be playing the 3rd Hesperides and sister to Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren. If true, these 3 villains could pose a real threat to the entire Shazam family, and even more so if their father Atlas makes an appearance.

Ross Butler As Eugene Choi (Superhero Form)

Ross Butler has recently taken to Instagram to tease the return of his character and the start of shooting of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods. The photo itself was taken back during the filming of Shazam 1 with him and his young counterpart, Ian Chen.

Related: DCEU: 10 Heroes That Should Join The Justice League In A Sequel

Eugene Choi's superhero form has the ability to control electricity. Similar to Billy, this electricity manipulation proved very useful during the fight against the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man. Along with Eugene's preexisting hacking ability, he makes a great addition to the Shazam Family of superheroes.

Faithe Herman As Darla Dudley

Another fan favorite from the first film, Darla Dudley is set to return in the Shazam sequel. Billy's hug-loving foster sister was the first to really accept him as a brother and is one of the driving forces behind the film's theme of family, and her appearance at the DC Fandome event confirms her return.

Like her siblings, Darla was also given a superhero form at the end of the first movie, so audiences can expect to see more action from the animal-loving Darla Dudley in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods.

Meagan Good As Darla Dudley (Superhero Form)

Another actor confirmed by the Fandome Panel, Meagan Good is now slated to return for the sequel. With Adam Brody confirming more scenes of the Shazam family in their superhero forms, it can be safe to say Darla Dudley will be fighting alongside them.

Darla's special ability in the first Shazam film was her super speed. Being much faster than the rest of her family (besides Billy) on top of super strength and flight, the superhero form of Darla will be a force to be reckoned with.

Next: DCEU: 5 Reasons Wonder Woman Is The Best Movie In The Franchise (And 5 Reasons It's Shazam)