DC Studios is all set for its next big release, Zachary Levi’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The movie is being directed by David F. Sandberg and is intended to be the sequel to 2019’s Shazam! and is the 12th installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Currently scheduled to be released in the United States on March 17, 2023, the film will see Billy Batson/ Shazam and his foster siblings fight the Daughters of Atlas. But who exactly are these ‘Daughters of Atlas’ in the DC universe lore? Let us see into their powers, origins, and motivations.

Hespera

Played by: Hellen Mirren

She is the leader of the Daughters of Atlas and wishes to battle against Shazam and his wizard mentor to retrieve the power which she thinks they stole from the gods. In the DC universe, she is seemingly inspired by Hesperides from Greek mythology, nymphs of dawn and dusk. In mythology, she protects a magical garden with a golden apple tree (which we can see in the trailer as well) and appear alongside other greek heroes like Hercules, Jason, and the Argonauts. One can see the inspiration for the character from Circe, a super-powered enemy of Wonder Woman from the comics (War of the Gods). With the many ranges of talents that Helen Mirren has, it would be fun to see her portrayal of the character in her own menacing way.

Kalypso

Played by: Lucy Liu

Similar to Hespera, Kalypso is never featured in DC Comics but is taken from Greek mythology (Calypso). In the myth, she is also one of the nymphs who is a protector of Ogygia island. In one of the shots in the trailer, Kalypso is seen using her magical powers to grow a giant tree from a stadium. Comic book enthusiasts can instantly see the inspiration of the character from other DC comic villains like Floronoic Man and Poison Ivy. Lucy Liu (Kill Bill, Charlie’s Angels, Elementary)has helmed the responsibility of portraying the character and we as fans just can’t wait.

Anthea/Athena

Played by: Rachel Zeglar

Athena is the one character that has regularly appeared in DC Comics. She is depicted as one of the major goddesses in the Greek pantheon and was the one who created Wonder Woman from clay to answer the prayers of Hippolyta, the Amazonian. She is the youngest of the Daughters of Atlas and is seemingly inspired by Anthea, the youngest daughter of Atlas in Greek mythology. In Greek mythology, Anthea is the epithet for Hera. Although mentioned on the IMDb page of the movie, the studio is still to confirm whether the character in the movie will be called Anthea or Athena.

Why do they want to kill Shazam?

As is evident from the trailer that the eldest of the Daughters of Atlas, Heespera believes that Billy Batson and his family are too naive to possess the powers of the Gods. According to her, “children (Billy and family) stole the power of the gods” and that her fight with them is “very personal.” The first ‘A’ in SHAZAM does stand for their father’s powers – Atlas. So, it could be possible that they believed themselves to be the worthy successor of their father’s powers than some mortal children. However, since these characters do not have established storylines in the comics, the writers have the freedom to use them as they wish in the movie making them more interesting and dynamic.  

Shazam! Fury of the Gods releases worldwide on March 17th, 2023.