Shazam!: Fury of the Gods: Talking about the importance of found family with star Marta Milans

Shazam!: Fury of the Gods is on its way and in order to prepare for that, Mama Rosa herself, Marta Milans, kindly sat down for an interview to discuss what she loves about both of the Shazam! films.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods will bring back Zachary Levi’s chaotic and lovable title hero for his second DCEU installment. And Billy Batson won’t be the only one returning, as he and his family will be going up against the formidable Daughters of Atlas.

That family wouldn’t be complete without Rosa Vásquez – the foster mother of Billy and his sibling superheroes. She’ll be returning in the upcoming sequel, too, and we recently had the chance to chat with actress Marta Milans about what we can expect from Rosa and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Marta Milans on the importance of found family in Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Marta: Hi!

Bam Smack Pow: Hi! Thank you so much for speaking with me.

Marta: Thank you so much for having me.

BSP: I adore the first Shazam! so I’m very excited for the second one.

Marta: It’s going to be even better! You’re gonna love it! Everyone’s gonna love it.

BSP: I love the trailers so far, and honestly, seeing your parts in the trailers I’ve kinda been like, “Oh, I think those are gonna be my favorite parts of the film.”

Marta: *laughs* Yep!

BSP: That one scene with you and Asher, that’s gonna be a great scene.

Marta: When I read the script on that scene and I had tears rolling down my eyes. And I called our writer, Henry [Gayden], and I said, “Man, you like me. You like Mamá Rosa cause if there’s any moment in the movie where you’re about to cry or not cry, that scene that’s in the trailer, what’s being said is beautiful, it will make you cry. I think it will make everyone cry. In a good way, you know.

BSP: Definitely! I can’t wait for that.

BSP: So onto my first question, you exude a great warmth in the first film, and seemingly the second one, so was there anyone in your life that you based your performance off of?

Marta: Definitely. I come from a very close knit family in Spain. We’re very close and we love one another a lot; my parents, my siblings, and myself. And I was incredibly supported, emotionally, and I still am by my parents, so deeply, and that propelled me into being brave enough to leave my home country and move to America and pursue my dream of acting. I never doubted myself and my parents never doubted me, so I never doubted myself. And I know what means in a deep human level, that made me unstoppable in wanting to pursue anything I set my mind to and I still feel that way. And that is uniquely how my parents raised me, especially my mom. She’s an artist as well, so she understands. So, that has always stayed in me.

And when I was lucky enough to get the role of Mamá Rosa, I felt so connected to her because she reminded me so much of my mom and someone that gravitates so much towards children. My mom, we literally call her the child whisperer because children from all walks of life, anywhere she is, a child goes to her. And I kinda have a very similar thing, not as much as my mom. My mom is the OG. But I have that! *laughs* My friends call me Mary Poppins because the kids, I know how to talk to them.

I feel like because of that, getting this role, going to Canada, and getting to know all my kids in the movie and be able to connect with them and transmit that familiarity on-set that when you see the first movie, you believe they’re a family. You believe she loves them. You believe she’s been with them for a long time and they love her. That’s palpable, y’know? So, I feel like my job is done if people believe that in the essence of Mamá Rosa. If you believe she’s a foster mom that really loves all those kids, then I’m good! I did my job pretty well. And I got to explore even more of that in the second movie. Especially in the struggle with Billy. They’re all growing up. Obviously we did the movie slightly delayed because of COVID, so the kids were growing up really fast and we were like, “Don’t! Darla, don’t grow up! Stay like this with your little pom-poms in your hair.” But, no, everybody grows up and everybody gets older and it’s so interesting how well developed that part of the story is cause it’s not just about heroes and villains and all these things that superhero movies like to explore.

This one in particular, I think, it has a deeper meaning and it’s more important on a social level because of the subject that it tackles and the fact that found family is so important. Even more so if you haven’t been able to, or haven’t been lucky enough to be born in a good one, or a solid one, or a stable one. To be able to know, to be shown on a big screen that there is a chance of love in found family, that message that continues to be more deeply explored in the sequel, I think is important. And I’m proud to be a part of a movie that will reach those audiences and make those children that feel alone, feel unwanted, or feel like they don’t belong that there is a chance at belonging. And I get to be that connecting tissue. I know that Mamá Rosa’s character is the heart, the core heart of the movie, even now more than ever. Even more than the first movie because of what the kids are going through, especially Billy.

I don’t wanna do any spoilers, but you see that it’s all about family. And even Zach [Levi], Shazam, has a line “It’s all about family!” and it’s true! You see it so well-explained in this movie. Even though we have dragons and Helen Mirren flying around and being evil! That doesn’t change, if anything it becomes more important and I’m very proud to be part of that message, y’know?

BSP: Yeah, definitely. Honestly, you bringing up found family actually was another question I had because that was a huge thematic component of the first film, and seemingly the second one. Recent comics written by Geoff Johns, found family has been a huge part of that and I was wondering how that’s been built on from the first film to the second film? You kinda went into that already.

Marta: Yeah, like I said, because they’re getting older, as you know, and some of them are about to turn 18 and, sadly, we know how the system of foster care works in this country, and I think my country too, where once you become an adult, you’re kind of on your own. I struggle with that a lot thinking “Wow, why is an 18 year old, just because they turn 18 all of a sudden they are fully equiped with all of the tools they need to navigate life,” and it’s not like that. Reality is not like that. And it shows, and I get goosebumps thinking about, because in this movie you get to see how important that is. And maybe this will bring more awareness to the fact that maybe it’s important to rethink how the foster care system works in America. Maybe it’s a good subject bring up in conversations on a social level. Maybe there are other ways in which we can help these children that are in the foster care program navigate adult life without all of sudden being like, “Boom! You turn 18, bye-bye.” So, I think, like I said, you’ll see how found family, I think, is the core essence of this film. In the second one we explore that even more, on a deeper level. And, like I said, I’m proud to be at the center of that.

BSP: Yeah, I get that. Family friends of mine fostered several kids, adopted them, so it’s something dear to my heart too.

Marta: That’s beautiful. Bless them.

BSP: So I love seeing that in the films as well.

Marta: So, also, I don’t know if you know this, but our producer, Peter Safran, when this movie came around, the first time around, and I think that’s why we are blessed and we have some karmic blessing following us into the first movie where we were like, always the underdog. People didn’t know Shazam, “What is this movie,” y’know? The reason how it came to be was that he and his family were in the foster care program to try and foster children in California and when that script came on his lap, he was like, “Oh my god.” And he had been in the program for many years with his wife. So when he read the script he thought, “Oh my god, if there’s one movie that I want to fight for to get made, it’s this one.” And it’s because of that, it’s because of the foster care issue, that I think that drove him to try to get this movie made and he got it made and he got it made with all of us. So, there’s something to say about guardian angels leading the way and giving us a hand in all this long road that the movie has been.

BSP: That’s honestly amazing to hear. Now a bit of more of a fun question, what’s been your favorite part of filming both of the films?

Marta: Definitely getting to know all my kids. I consider them my nieces and nephews. I’ve been really lucky because I’ve been able to nurture maternal relationships with all these kids that, at the end of the day, are children. They might be actors, but they’re children. We’ve been able to create a familiarity and human bonds that are unbreakable at this point knowing that we’ve been on this long road together into this second movie. I feel like all the dinner scenes have been a complete mess to film. *laughs* There are so many of us and there’s so much blocking and you have to eat this lemon [multiple times]. It’s a beautiful chaos.

Also, our director, David [Sandberg] is a Northern European, very stoic personality that doesn’t express a lot. And I’m Spanish! So when there’s all this chaos, David would always be like, *whispers* “Just tell people to shut up.” So, I feel like it’s been in a camp together where I get to play the extension of my character into reality. The lines are blurred. We’ve all become this one big crazy family. On-camera and behind the camerca, so that’s definitely what I keep in my heart the closest.

BSP: That’s wonderful. So basically, it’s just been like watching your own like, adopted kids growing up while you’re on-set basically? *laughs*

Marta: *laughs* Yeah, yeah! Like “Jack! Behave!” “Jack, concentrate.” Literally like that with all the kids. Obviously, they were more grown-up in the second movie, but still, it’s been a fun road and I’m crossing my fingers for a third installment, if we get lucky.

BSP: Me too. So, one last thing that you would want to say to people who are on the fence, what would you say to get them to go see the film?

Marta: I think, again, we repeat, again, that it’s not your typical superhero movie with flying spaceships and explosions. It’s about family, it’s lovely, it’s heartfelt, it’s fun, it’s bigger, it’s louder. We have dragons that chase my kids around and Mamá Rosa won’t have it! So there’s a lot of fun about that and seeing them turn into kids in superhero form. It’s beautifully linked together. It’s funny. Mamá Rosa gets a one-liner! I get to be funny! *laughs* I don’t even know if I can be funny, oh wait, Mamá Rosa can be funny! So there’s a little bit for everybody. I wouldn’t miss it. And I don’t just say that because I’m in it. I truly think it’s a great film.

BSP: I can’t wait to see it. Thank you so much for talking with me.

Marta: You’re welcome. Thank you for having me.

Shazam!: Fury of the Gods comes out on March 17, only in theaters.

Are you looking forward to seeing Shazam! Fury of the Gods? Let us know in the comments below!