The sequel to Shazam! is set to premiere this month, and one of its newest stars, Rachel Zegler, opened up about her experience before she landed her role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Zegler will be featured alongside decorated actors Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the never-before-seen Daughters of Atlas. But before the fans get to experience Zegler’s performance in Shazam!, they might have to imagine her first in another highly coveted role among DC’s upcoming big projects.
In an interview with SlashFilm, Zegler revealed that DC turned her down for a bigger role in the franchise before she took on the character Anthea. The actress recalled being initially approached for the role of Supergirl in The Flash, which she auditioned for but eventually lost to Sasha Calle. Although she didn't get the part, the casting director gave her another shot in a different role in Shazam! 2.
“So then with this one, I booked them a month and a half, and I was like, 'Is this what it’s like? Is it supposed to be like this?' And my agents were like, 'Yeah.' But no, I read for Rich [Delia], who was our casting director, and he originally had come to me with Supergirl for '[The] Flash,' and I was not right for it. He was like, 'You know what, I’ve got a character in mind for you for ‘Shazam.’ They’re looking at X, Y, Z. We would love it if you came in and read.'” Zegler narrated.
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She continued, "So I read on Zoom. The era of Zoom is isolation, a pandemic era. Then I went back in, and I read for David Sandberg, and then for the last time, I had a chemistry read with Jack Dylan Grazer. The story goes that Jack picked me. That Peter Safran, our producer, turned to him and was like, 'Which one did you like the best, Jack?' and he said, 'Well, she’s Maria in ‘West Side Story,’ so we got to have her.' Because Jack is a very big 'West Side Story fan. Jack loves 'West Side Story.' So I have him to thank."
Zegler appears to be on her way to more major roles in the industry's biggest projects after rising to stardom in West Side Story. Aside from her DC role, this has already occurred with her leading role in Disney's reboot of Snow White. Given this, it's no longer surprising that she was considered for the role of Supergirl, but for now, fans can expect that the young actress will shine even more in the upcoming sequel.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens in theaters on March 17, 2023.
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