4 years ago, the movie Shazam was a surprise hit.

It was a lighthearted entry in the DC Extended Universe that's often grimmer and grittier

in tone.

Now, Star Zachary Levi returns with a great big cast characters in a new sequel called

Shazam Fury of the Gods.

I'm Glenn Weldon.

And I'm Stephen Thompson.

Today we are talking about Shazam, the Fury of the Gods, on Pop Culture Happy Hour from

NPR.

Due to some last minute logistical issues, it's just the two of us today.

So some of you might not remember every detail of the original Shazam, given that it's

been four years and a few things have gone on in that time.

So here is a quick refresher.

The first film gave us the origin story of an orphaned teenager named Billy Batson.

Basically, Billy gets bestowed with God-like superpowers in such a way that whenever Billy

yells the word Shazam, he transforms into a red-suited superhero.

Billy is played by Asher Angel while Superbilly takes the form of Zachary Levi, who basically

plays a superman child, a big glute with big powers, but also the mind of a wisecracking

teenager with imposter syndrome.

By the end of the first film, our hero uses his powers to transform his young foster

siblings into a kind of super team, all of whom must then keep their identity secret,

while living under the roof of their saintly foster parents.

...