There are instances where despite your best efforts or intentions, you end up watching a movie by accident. Maybe it was just on while you were working, or Netflix auto-played it without asking your permission (classic), or maybe you were sitting in the waiting room of the dentist and had to choose between watching X-Men: First Class or reading a copy of Women’s Day from 2017. These things happen to everyone.
But let’s say that you were cast in a superhero franchise. In theory, you’d want to see all of the past material in order to provide important context and depth to your knowledge of the universe. You wouldn’t just go into the sequel with very limited knowledge… right? I’m directing this question to Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, who is currently starring in Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, though she might not have seen the first movie. It’s a little unclear at this point.
While on the red carpet for the DC film, Mirren was asked by The Hollywood Reporter how she decided to get involved in the project when she admitted, “Honestly, I’m not familiar with the superhero world. But I did sort of almost accidentally see the first one, and I thought it was so charming. It completely took me by surprise.” The movie sure is charming, thanks to Zachary Levi’s quirky superhero moments, but let’s get back to the “almost accidentally” part. Can you “sort of almost” do something by accident? Did she or did she not watch this movie? Or was it just something Harrison Ford put on while they were hanging out in Montana?
As proven by her past remarks, Mirren doesn’t really know what Shazam is about, but she also doesn’t have to! She’s Helen Mirren. When she was approached to star in the sequel, she just went for it. “When the second one was suggested, I immediately said yes. And then when they said you’ll be playing a goddess, I said, well, of course.” This is also what they said when she was cast in The Fate Of The Furious, probably.
Of course, the world would want to see Dame Helen Mirren as a goddess. It doesn’t even matter if she is a little lost when it comes to the plot. To be fair, she chose the least-complicated superhero universe to dive into. Has anyone told her about all of the multiverses over at Marvel? Keep them away from her.
