Why Mary Marvel Was Recast For Shazam: Fury Of The Gods
Olivia Owen While Shazam! Fury of the Gods mostly features the original's cast of heroes, Mary Marvel's Super Form was recast (but it actually fits the comics).
Mary Marvel, the oldest member of DC's superhero team, was recast in Shazam! Fury of the Gods, despite the other members of the family keeping the same adult counterparts that they had in 2019's Shazam!. Grace Caroline Currey pulls double-duty in David F. Sandberg's 2023 sequel, playing both the non-powered and super-powered selves. This wasn't the case in the original film, but is actually a welcome change overall, as Currey performs opposite the likes of Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Helen Mirren, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Zachary Levi as the titular hero Shazam.
Despite her intentions to leave Fawcett City to attend Caltech, Shazam! Fury of the Gods confirmed that Mary Bromfield, one of Billy's foster siblings, chose to stay put, holding off her academic plan in light of her and her foster siblings' new powers. Although Billy Batson, played by Asher Angel, might be the de facto leader of the team, Mary is very much looked to as the brains of the operation. After all, it's teased she holds more of the Wisdom of Solomon than any of the others while also being the oldest sister. While this helps explain the recasting, there's also canonical reasoning from the pages of DC Comics.
Who Played Mary Marvel In Shazam!
In 2019's Shazam!, Michelle Borth played Mary Bromfield's super-powered adult form while Grace Caroline Currey (née Fulton) portrayed the younger, non-powered version of Mary. Towards the end of Shazam!, Billy shares his powers with his foster siblings to battle Mark Strong's Doctor Sivana and the monstrous Seven Deadly Sins, so Mary gained abilities alongside Freddy Freeman, Eugene Choi, Pedro Peña, and Darla Dudley. Since each of the other siblings transformed into adults, akin to Billy, it initially made sense for Mary to be played by two different actors, though Shazam! Fury of the Gods changed this.
Taking place two years after the events of the first film, the family in Shazam! Fury of the Gods are noticeably older than they previously were - though this change only really affects Mary and Billy. Billy is a few months shy of 18, and is set to age-out of the foster system. Though initially reluctant to join the family, he now fears that he'll be asked to leave once he turns 18. Additionally, Mary is an adult now, even when in her non-powered form, having been 17/18 in Shazam!, which would place her at 19/20 inthe sequel. As such, it's logical that Currey would portray both roles.
Shazam 2 Recasting Mary Marvel Fits With DC Comics
It's worth noting that Mary Marvel having a single form also fits the stories in DC Comics as well. First seen in issues originally published by Fawcett Comics before becoming integrated into the DC Universe, Mary Marvel's powers were sourced from a different collection of gods beyond Billy Batson's back when Shazam was still known as Captain Marvel. As such, Mary Marvel had the same form regardless of whether her powers were activated via the magic word or not, making her unique in comparison to Billy, who always changed into his adult form when becoming a hero.
It certainly seems as though inspiration was taken from DC Comics when the decision was made for Grace Caroline Currey to play both roles in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Given her age, it makes sense, despite Mary's abilities still coming from the same gods as Billy and the rest of their family. While this does raise questions as to whether Mary's new status quo sets a precedent for Billy needing a similar recast with future films (either abandoning Angel or Levi), the transition to adulthood doesn't have to be that consistent. Perhaps for Billy, the difference will simply be becoming a young adult with Levi still being the older form.
Will Grace Caroline Currey Play Both Versions Of Mary In A Potential Shazam 3?
Following the mixed reviews for Shazam! Fury of the Gods and its box-office bomb status, it seems unlikely that Shazam! 3 will be greenlit for the future of James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe. Even so, if a sequel does go into development, it would be interesting to see if Grace Caroline Currey continues to play Mary Marvel in both forms. While it could be argued that Borth may be brought back to have a turn playing both roles - as Mary will have become even older by the time a third movie would begin filming - it stands to reason that a new chapter would likely maintain the status quo established in Shazam! Fury of the Godsrather than further confusing the issue.
Shazam 2's Mary Marvel Recast Creates A Major Retcon Of First Movie
During Shazam! Fury of the Gods, a flashback sequence calls back to the moment Billy gifts his siblings their abilities in the 2019 film. Originally, this scene saw Grace Caroline Currey transform into Michelle Borth. However, this flashback was re-shot for Shazam! Fury of the Gods to feature not only an update on the team's costumes, but also Currey as the adult form of Mary Marvel, completely replacing Borth. While it may have seemed impractical to bring Borth back to film only one short sequence, this replacement does create a retcon, as it suggests the audience is supposed to think that Currey had been in the role all along.
