Helen Mirren: ‘I got banned from Comic-Con for fighting’

By Mike Bedigan, PA Los Angeles Correspondent

Helen Mirren joked that she had been banned from Comic-Con for fighting, as she shocked fans with a humorous but risque virtual greeting.

The Oscar-winning actress, who stars in the upcoming DC film Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, delivered a special message to convention-goers on Saturday.

Fans were officially introduced to the “Shazam-ily” as a new trailer for the superhero sequel debuted at the Warner Bros theatrical showcase on the third day of Comic-Con.

Stars of the film Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer appeared on stage with Lucy Liu during the first panel of the day.

Check out the official trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods – in theaters this Christmas. #ShazamMovie pic.twitter.com/WlHdrkG99L

— Shazam! Fury of the Gods (@ShazamMovie) July 23, 2022

Mirren, who plays Hespera, the villainous daughter of the Greek titan Atlas, was not present at the convention, nor was cast member Rachel Zegler, but a joint message from the actresses was played to attendees.

Asked why she was not present, Mirren said it was a “silly story”.

“I love Comic-Con and used to go there as a fan, but someone tried to cut in line, and you know how annoying that is,” she said.

“Did you get banned from Comic-Con for fighting?” Zegler asked.

What would you ask the cast of #ShazamMovie? #SDCC pic.twitter.com/lrf3PSYc9k

— DC (@DCComics) July 23, 2022

“Of course not darling, it wasn’t a fight, he went down instantly,” Mirren replied.

She went on to say that she had loved to play her “delightful baddie” and told Levi: “Zach, I had such a lovely time kicking the shit out of you.”

Speaking about her female co-stars, she branded Lucy Liu her “sisters for life” exclaiming “pussy power!” and drawing gasps and laughs from the audience.

“I can’t believe Helen Mirren just said that,” Levi said.