Mama Rosa has her hands full in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. The devoted foster mom is not just dealing with her younger children but their superhero counterparts as well. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Marta Milans about what to expect in the highly-anticipated sequel.
“She’s definitely up to a lot more things than the first one. She’s in the loop of a lot more of what’s going on in the story, which is hilarious as well because she finds out many things that she didn’t know about her children,” Marta told HollywoodLife. “It’s amazing. It’s wonderful. It’s funnier. I get to have my one-liner, which is even more hilarious because Mama Rosa isn’t supposed to be funny.”
She also revealed that Mama Rosa has what she calls the “most heartfelt moment in the sequel and the most beautiful things being said about family and home and found family. Mama Rosa gets to say them in a tear-jerking moment. I am just lucky that I get to play her again and get to say those beautiful words. I’m truly blessed.”
Mama Rosa is the emotional core of the Shazam! kids. Marta pointed out that even as the kids get older, they “all come back home to her. She’s the bind that brings everyone together.”
She added, “I feel like in these very discombobulated times, very complicated times where people feel more isolated than ever, and what social media and the current status of the world have done is the opposite of bringing people together. To be able to play a character that’s bringing people together, which is so needed in society nowadays, and so needed for children and young adults to feel like there’s a sense of unity. It’s so clearly demonstrated in the movies through Mama Rosa that it brings me joy because I feel now more than ever, we need to reiterate the importance of family, the importance of unity, the importance of coming together, where to base yourself, and not feeling lost in a world and Shazam! does that.”
The character of Rosa has had a lasting impact on Marta “in so many different ways.” The actress told HollywoodLife, “I’ve always known I was going to be a mom in my life, in one way or form that’s still up for debate. I’m in the process of it myself. But what I can say is I’ve always gravitated toward kids all my life, and I think that’s partly why I got this role because of the connection I have with children. I’ve always had it, so I’ve related so much to that character. I’ve also been inspired by my mom, who is a Mama Rose on steroids.”
Marta called her own mom a “child whisperer” and kids always “gravitate toward her.” The actress noted that she’s “trying to emulate that in the best capacity that I’ve been able to, and I think Mama Rosa does that in this movie. I’m proud of that because I think people do believe that she is a mother of many kids. Even if she’s not a biological mom, she’s a loving foster mom. You see that on screen in the first movie, and I think you’ll see it as well in the sequel. I am proud of my work for that reason because it resonates with so many people, and it continues to inspire me. I think these roles resonate in people’s hearts and they stay with you. If I get to do that to people, it’s a job well done.”
As she looks ahead, Marta is determined to “keep on telling beautiful stories.” She’s going to be stepping behind the camera and directing her first short film this summer in Spain. “I just want to continue to inspire people with important stories and important characters that people can relate to and get inspired by anything,” she told HollywoodLife. “The entertainment business is not just about I think entertaining the world, but we can also bring some heart into creating characters that have some social impact. I think that’s important.” Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be released on March 17 in theaters everywhere.