Why Isn't Michelle Borth In Shazam! Fury Of The Gods?
"Shazam!" hit theaters in 2019, putting the tenured DC comics hero into the spotlight for the first time on the big screen. He didn't come alone, however, as Billy Batson's (Zachary Levi) third act showdown with Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) acted as the gateway for the rest of the Shazam family to make their super-powered introductions. The aged-up heroes fought valiantly against Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins, saving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from the forces of evil and proving themselves as a unified force for good — one that wouldn't be a one-off novelty in the DCEU.
With filming of the sequel — "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" – underway, director David F. Sandberg recently revealed the Shazamily's updated costumes. Though most of the team boast only minor alterations to their previous outfits, one character, in particular, has made headlines ever since Sandberg's post. Unlike her fellow family members, who all have a child and adult actor designated for their civilian and superhero forms, respectively, Mary Bromfield is now played by a single actress: Grace Fulton. Fulton previously took on the younger version while Michelle Borth handled the grown one, prompting much confusion among fans as to why this change was made.
Naturally, the internet has gone into speculation mode over Borth's absence from the "Shazam!" continuation, with a couple of theories arising to explain it in lieu of any confirmed explanations.
Michelle Borth's exclusion from Shazam! Fury of the Gods remains unexplained
In response to questions concerning Grace Fulton's casting as the adult Mary Bromfield, Sandberg clarified that the image of her donning the cape was no mistake. "Yes, Grace now plays both parts. But her hair and makeup is slightly different when she's super so nobody will ever recognize her. Hey, it works for Wonder Woman!" he wrote on Twitter, further fueling speculation surrounding Michelle Borth's disappearance by not addressing it directly.
The most obvious explanation is that Fulton doesn't require another actress to bump up her age when she transforms into a superhero. Of the foster siblings, the college-aged Mary is the oldest, and the actress behind her is approaching 25 years old. As Sandberg notes, with a little bit of makeup and work on her hair, she'll look pretty close to how she would as an adult anyway, thus eliminating the need for Borth. The rest of the group are all significantly younger, so it makes sense for their grown actors to once again join the cast list as their super-powered alter-egos.
At the same time, some have posited that Michelle Borth was quietly fired from "Fury of the Gods," assuming she signed on for the sequel at one point, to begin with. Internet denizens point to a controversial Instagram post she made on January 6, 2021, mourning the death of Ashli Babbitt, who participated in the storming of the United States Capitol that same day and was killed by Capitol Police. This post put her in hot water with many, and that response led to the conclusion being drawn that it played a role in her dismissal from the "Shazam!" series.
As of this writing, the true reason behind Michelle Borth's DCEU exit has yet to be revealed, and this is all purely theorization. We can only hope that more information will come to light down the road, either before "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" hits theaters on June 2, 2023, or sometime after.