Major spoilers for Shazam! Fury of the Gods lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods has finally arrived and presents fans with the exciting next chapter in the story of Billy Batson and his foster family, who also serve as his superhero cohorts. While the sequel’s primary story is relatively self-contained, it also includes some references to the wider DC Extended Universe or DCEU – which is now transforming into the DCU. As a result, fans were treated to a major DC cameo (that unfortunately spoiled in an ad). It’s a cool moment but, as Mary Bromfield actress Grace Caroline Curry revealed, the cast didn’t actually get to work with said actor.
The film’s third act sees Billy Batson doing battle with the villainous Kalypso, who commandeered the dragon Landon and wreaked havoc upon Philadelphia after planting the powerful Tree of Life. Unsure of how to best the villainous, Billy realizes that the dome (that Hespera encased the city in) does not react well to his lightning. With that, the dying Hespera shrinks it, trapping both Batson and her maniacal sister in it. While in the dome, Billy overloads the Wizard’s staff with his electrical charges and manages to defeat Kalypso. Though he sacrifices himself in the process, he’s later resurrected in the Gods’ realm after Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince a.k.a. Wonder Woman appears and recharges the staff.
The scene, which also sees Prince restoring the Gods’ realm, was surely exciting for fans, and Grace Caroline Curry (who was also promoted to the role of superhero Mary) was also hyped about it. The star explained to CinemaBlend, however, that there were a lot of logistics that prevented the stars from actually filming with Gal Gadot. When asked about whether she shot with Gadot, Curry candidly said:
Well I didn't [laughs], which, it was a huge thing… I think also scheduling and projects and I want to say it was like in another country or something. Like we were literally... when you are trying to get someone on green screen, you still don't know if you're going to be able to get them. So the funny thing was, we were saying the whole time, 'Are we going to get Gal? Will we have that Wonder Woman moment?' And we were shooting things just in case, regardless, and knowing that, well maybe it'll just be the gag, you know? Maybe it'll just be the gag of ‘No Head Wonder Woman.’
The actress seems to be referring to the widely discussed headless Superman moment that occurred during the closing moments of the original 2019 film. Some were left disappointed when the camera didn’t pan up to reveal Henry Cavill as the person wearing the red and blue costume. So those who’ve seen Fury of the Gods are sure to be thrilled that Gal Gadot actually showed up for this cinematic outing. It’s just a bit ironic that while fans were granted their wish of a full DCU cameo, the stars themselves didn’t truly get in on the fun from a BTS standpoint. Still, Grace Caroline Curry can see a silver lining in the situation:
So I still haven't met her. [laughs] [But] the suit, as nerdy as it sounds, having the suit on set -- her suit… Just getting the suit on set was pretty cool.
This latest appearance from Wonder Woman will likely be even more special to fans due to the fact that the character’s cinematic future is up in the air. The same is also true for Billy Batson and his found family. However, DC Studios co-head James Gunn has debunked rumors of Diana Prince's demise, while Shazam! director David F. Sandberg has appealed to fans about the franchise’s future. With any luck, fans will get to see more of these characters in some way moving forward. But if not, I’m glad that we at least have a scene that involves Billy and (his crush) Diana crossing paths in a sweet (and funny) way.
You can see Grace Caroline Curry and her co-stars light it up in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which is now playing in theaters. Before you see the 2023 new movie release, know that the first movie can be streamed if you happen to have an HBO Max subscription.
