While interest in bringing the character to the big screen started building in the late 2000s, it's taken a while for Black Adam to release in theaters. Starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, the movie is the next entry in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. And the action-packed film promises to change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe.
Now mere months away from release, the movie will be pivotal in the DCEU's future. There are numerous rumors about the film, namely how it will connect to the Shazam movies it spins off from and how the Man of Steel might tussle with Black Adam. Here's what fans and casual moviegoers should know before the original World's Mightiest Mortal crashes onto the big screen.
Black Adam's Plot and Characters
The story of Black Adam has the protagonist getting revived in the modern world. In the past, he got granted powers by the gods, but these quickly proved to be more curses than blessings. Now, he reawakens in the present, ready to unleash fire and fury upon anyone who stands in his path. Along the way, he'll encounter the Justice Society, a group of heroes with very different ideas of honor and morality. Opposing them all is the terrorist organization Intergang, with their leader Sabbac eventually taking on a demonic form of power.
The Justice Society consists of the likes of the magical Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), the winged warrior Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), the size-changing Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and the air-based Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell). Sarah Shahi portrays Professor Adrianna Tomaz, the DCEU equivalent of Black Adam's wife Isis from the comics. Many of these characters are currently spotlighted in the Black Adam: The Justice Society Files comic books. Viola Davis will also be reprising her role as Amanda Waller in the movie, potentially setting up further appearances for the movie's characters. Hawkgirl was originally going to show up, but there are apparently plans for her elsewhere, leading to her removal from Black Adam.
The Black Adam Trailer
The first trailer for Black Adam released on June 8, 2022, after years of speculation on how the movie will turn out. After all, it officially got announced back in 2014, being developed by New Line Cinema all the way back in the early 2000s. This trailer had Black Adam recounting his torrid life as he became acquainted with the Justice Society, as well as causing random destruction to pretty much anything or anyone that crossed his path. However, the trailer still kept several mysteries, with the villainous Sabbac, for instance, still only seen in toy form.
At San Diego Comic-Con, more footage from the movie was shown, with a new trailer giving some more glimpses at Black Adam's reaction to the Justice Society and his own feelings concerning his powers. From the looks of things, Black Adam absolutely dominates the JSA when he first encounters them, highlighting from the get-go how powerful he is.
The second trailer for Black Adam was recently released, giving glimpses of several heretofore unseen parts of the movie. These include Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, with her connection to the Justice Society showing that her influence goes beyond the Suicide Squad. With a sleek yet private mansion, the former team is shown to be very resourceful themselves, though they might not put up much of a fight against Black Adam. Powerful and demonic villain Sabbac is also briefly seen at one point, with his presence promising to give Black Adam a foe worthy of his fists. Reception toward the trailer saw it as much more eventful than the first, bolstering the building hype of the movie as it nears closer to release.
Black Adam's Production News and Release Date
Following the release of the first Shazam! movie in 2019, New Line Cinema pushed forward on finally making the Black Adam movie. This film was originally going to be part of Shazam!, but the plots were split into two movies after 2017 to develop the title characters separately. Production and filming thundered into high gear in 2020, though the COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed things down. That meant the initially planned release date of October 21, 2021, was no longer feasible.
Now, Black Adam's set for an October 21, 2022 release date, with the near-Halloween release ironically mirroring fellow anti-hero movie Venom. Like other Warner Bros. movies this year, it will premiere on HBO Max 45 days later, allowing subscribers to watch the film there for a limited time. From there, the future of Black Adam as a character is unknown, though many want him to face off against both Superman and Billy Batson/Shazam.
Black Adam lead star Dwayne Johnson shared a new video of his surprise participation in a test screening for the highly-anticipated hero movie. Besides watching the movie in secret by the audience's side, Johnson interacted with the lucky guests of the test screening, discussing what they thought about Teth-Adam's debut in the DC Extended Universe.
Black Adam will tell the origin story of Teth-Adam, a man born into slavery in Ancient Egypt who’s granted the powers of the wizard Shazam. However, instead of using these powers for good, Teth-Adam becomes a ruthless antihero determined to destroy anyone who stands in the path of what he calls justice. Fans are extremely excited to see Black Adam get a live-action version in the DCEU, and with Johnson using all his charisma to bring Teth-Adam to life, expectations are high for the movie. The hype surrounding Black Adam is already enough for it to open big at the international box office. Even so, test screening must be done to measure the audience’s reaction and help Warner Bros. Discovery handle marketing and last-minute adjustments.
Since Johnson is very committed to the project, the star snuck into a test screening to learn first-hand what the public thought about his superhero debut. In the video posted by Johnson on Instagram, the star surprises the audience at the end of the screening by asking what they really thought about the movie. The people present in the test screening unanimously love Black Adam, praising Johnson’s interpretation of the character, the explosive ending, and how the movie keeps you guessing without ever revealing where it’s really going. That’s great news indeed, as the current reorganizing of the DCEU shook the public’s truth in the franchise, and fans really need a win to keep engaged with DC productions.
Besides explaining how the antihero got his powers, Black Adam will also have Teth-Adam joining -- and then fighting -- the Justice Society of America, a superhero team that precedes the Justice League. The movie version of the team includes Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. Black Adam also counts with Viola Davis, reprising her role as the Amanda Waller, the coordinator of Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad.
Black Adam is currently set to be released in theaters on October 21. Besides revealing the reactions to the test screening, Johnson also teased a new trailer “is going down this week.” Keep an eye out on Collider to catch the new trailer as soon as it’s released.
Fans of the DCEU are getting their best look yet at Pierce Brosnan's Black Adam character in a brand-new poster highlighting Doctor Fate. The upcoming film follows its titular anti-hero, Teth-Adam/Black Adam, who finds himself freed from imprisonment almost 5,000 years after receiving powers from the Egyptian gods, now seeking to unleash his own form of equity on the world while attracting the attention of the Justice Society of America. The movie is set to be released in theaters on October 21, 2022, and in addition to Johnson and Brosnan, it stars Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, and Quintessa Swindell.
Fans of the comics are likely familiar with Brosnan's character, Kent Nelson, a powerful sorcerer who employs the magical Helmet of Fate, given to him by the ancient entity Nabu, as well as a founding member of the JSA. Throughout his publication history, Nelson/Doctor Fate has dealt with a number of impediments surrounding Nabu's eventual attempts to assume control of his body and has appeared as a mentor to several other popular heroes. When recently discussing his involvement with Black Adam, Brosnan touched on just how formidable Doctor Fate is, revealing he has the power to see the future, resurrect the dead, and teleport.
Now, Johnson, who has actively been promoting Black Adam across social media since production began over a year ago, has taken to Twitter to reveal Doctor Fate's first official character poster. Quoting Kent Nelson, the actor wrote, "Fate does not make mistakes," before acknowledging Brosnan in the role. Check out the brand-new poster spotlighting Doctor Fate below:
Brosnan has previously explained how he was able to provide input for the character's costume design, prominently displayed on the poster, noting that director Jaume Collet-Serra was great to work with and would send him different ideas. In another recent interview, Collet-Serra addressed why he decided to cast Brosnan as Doctor Fate, stating that he wanted someone to bring a sense of restraint to the character. He said that it would take a "special actor" to play Fate before commenting that Brosnan is "one of the coolest people in the world."
As Johnson continues to share updates surrounding Black Adam, he has also openly praised the work of Brosnan, adding to the excitement of fans. Those acquainted with the character and the source material are likely eager to see how the upcoming film manages to depict Doctor Fate, as well as the Justice Society of America. But as this poster indicates, DC has at least been able to successfully adapt Doctor Fate's comic appearance for the big screen. Audiences looking forward to finding out more about the character and Brosnan's portrayal can be sure to see Black Adam when it hits theaters this fall.
The new Black Adam film has opened the doors of the DC Extended Universe by introducing the famous anti-hero and the Justice Society of America. These heroes are some of the oldest in comic book history and have helped sculpt the DC Universe even before the Justice League. One of its most famous members, Hawkman, has shown fans for decades that age is only a number when fighting crime. But it's been revealed that where the film had the chance to bring to life the most interesting aspect of his origin, it instead decided not to, which has become a huge missed opportunity.
In the comics, Carter Hall was unique to the many other legacy heroes in the DC Universe. Rather than take up the mantle from a predecessor, he got reincarnated as the Hawkman of a new generation upon death. That began as early as the time of Ancient Egypt when he was known as Prince Khufu and has continued to the modern age, with his story always leading him to his love Shiera Hall, aka Hawkgirl. But according to Black Adam Director Jaume Collet-Serra, this storyline was scrapped for the movie as it may be too confusing to translate into a film that wasn't his.
The logic that it may overstuff the film makes sense as this wasn't the first time it got brought to live action. In the Arrowverse, Carter's story of reincarnation got adapted, but it lacked greatly in terms of the impact and pacing needed to tell it. Plus, with him getting introduced in an already packed event and spending only one season on Legends of Tomorrow, there was no time to flesh it out. The same could be said for Hawkman in Black Adam, but with a longer runtime, it may be a sacrifice that's worth taking.
For starters, while the titular character wasn't reincarnated, per se, his story is one of a man who jumped from one century to another. As a man displaced, he would need a focal point to focus on in understanding this new world. With Hawkman there, he would've been the perfect lighting rod for Adam to understand the modern age. Plus, this wouldn't necessarily imply that the two would be friends, as it's clear their thoughts on the sanctity of life don't align. There's also the added notion of most of the JSA in the film being made up of Golden Age heroes like Dr. Fate and Atom Smasher, making the theme of time a factor.
Another interesting connection the film could've utilized is the history between Adam and Carter. Since they likely existed around the same time, before their deaths, it's very plausible that they crossed paths where Prince Khufu looked down on Adam even though Carter has clearly changed from who he was. Therefore, there'd be an age-old animosity between them that Carter likely wouldn't even remember yet, as it's unclear how long he's been Hawkman and if he has his full memories of past lives.
Hawkman's story in the comics is a treasure trove of narratives that could get explored in the future, should his origin remain intact. For example, he could leave to find Shiera and start his own journey that could continue in future stories. But with his origin lessened or even scrapped due to its complexity, it could make his future more difficult to translate in the long run. As a result, what seemed like a feasible idea, may end up being implemented in the future or risk jeopardizing the translation of the character in future DCEU appearances.
While Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam may be the star of DC Comics’ next big live-action movie, he’s far from the only big-name character taking center stage. Joining him will be the Justice Society of America, which includes members such as Dr. Fate, Cyclone, Atom-Smasher, and their leader, Hawkman.
Most of these new characters have relatively straightforward backstories to establish for the audiences. However, the same cannot be said for Aldis Hodge’s flying, mace-wielding hero—he’s complicated.
In the comics, the character begins with Prince Khufu of Ancient Egypt, someone who ends up being killed by their rival, Hath-Set. Eventually, in 1940, the character ends up being reincarnated in the body of an American archeologist, Carter Hall. That's only one version, however, as another sees him as Katar Hol, a native from the planet Thanagar, who happens to be a police officer.
Even that brief description likely led some to scratch their heads. So how will a movie with a limited runtime smooth out, and fix, those messy wrinkles?
Fixing Hawkman's Origin
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra talked about Aldis Hodge's character of Hawkman and how the movie dealt with the character's confusing talent of reincarnation over the course of thousands of years—and how the movie aims to fix that with this first film.
The director noted how “it would be too confusing” to try and establish any known connection between Hawkman and Black Adam, seeing as both would have likely interacted roughly “5,000 years ago:”
“In the comics, there are clear references of like, ‘Hey, I saw you 5,000 years ago. You remember me?’ We’re not doing that… would be too confusing. Obviously, Hawkman reincarnates, so how many times do you need to reincarnate and still remember? All these rules [are something] you don’t want to set until those characters are really established.”
He continued, pointing out how in the upcoming movie, Hawkman “is a very driven character,” one who “has a very strong sense of what’s right or wrong:”
“He is a very driven character that knows that he’s on the right side… definitely, he’s a leader. He wants to bring this team together, and bring a certain stability to the world. Hawkman has a very strong sense of what’s right or wrong, and Black Adam challenges that.”
For those wondering what a hero looks like across incarnations over the span of thousands of years, look no further than the picture below.
Hawkman's Intricate Future
It's not surprising to learn how Black Adam will be toning down some of Hawkguy's more intricate details. After all, it is Dwayne Johnson's film first and foremost, so there's not really much time to dive into the all the nooks and crannies of Carter Hall's many reincarnated lives. Hopefully, however, the version that fans do get will still closely resemble the hero from the original comics.
Collet-Serra specifically noted how some of the more complex rules shouldn't be set up until the characters are better established in the world. This means that, at least to some degree, the director fully intends on seeing some of Black Adam's cast pop up in more DCEU.
But what exactly does that even mean? The entire DC Comics live-action slate is in shambles following new CEO David Zaslav's dramatic shift in strategy, which included the cancellation of Batgirl. That's not to mention the uncertain future of The Flash, which, if actually completely canned, could completely blow apart the future of Warner Bros.' superhero plans.
Since Superman took to the skies in Man of Steel, the DC Expanded Universe has experienced a topsy turvy fluctuation in power levels. On the one hand, Superman could still be considered the most powerful being in the universe, but in a world with Darkseid, even that could be up for debate. But now, things have changed even more with the introduction of Black Adam. However, with Superman seemingly AWOL, the only hero who could stand a chance against him would be Shazam. That said, the Wizard's champion may be more than underqualified to take on such a foe.
In the San Diego Comic-Con trailer for Black Adam, the titular anti-hero goes toe to toe with each member of the Justice Society of America. While their efforts to hold him back were valiant, Adam seemingly dispatched all of them with little to no effort on his part. While most of these characters wouldn't have stood a chance against him in the comics either, the real feat of strength came when he was able to hold off the powerful Doctor Fate. With that logic, Billy Batson may have a real dilemma when it's time for him to face off against the powerful being.
In Shazam!, Billy does his best to be the best hero he can be. But unlike Adam, he was never a warrior, let alone seen prolonged combat. In fact, the goodness of his heart and youth made him the prime candidate to wield the powers of The Wizard. That was because, in the past, he had granted his powers to Teth Adam, who used them to create destruction rather than save lives. But with Billy far from ready to take on someone of equal strength, how would a battle between Shazam and Black Adam go?
Adam has shown that he treats his powers as an extension of himself. As a result, he's grown accustomed to his strength, flight and lighting abilities. And compared to Billy, he's even more capable of wielding them in creative and destructive ways. In the past, Billy has shown that he prefers to use his powers like Superman, meaning that he rarely uses his lighting powers offensively. That said, he's also incredibly durable, which he would need to face off against Adam.
Another disadvantage Billy has against Adam is that he doesn't have the killer instinct that has honed Adam into the person he is today. In Black Adam, he's already shown that he's not afraid to take a life if it's for the greater good. However, Billy, being a child, is far from prepared to face a choice of that magnitude. Because of this, Adam could easily take advantage of his hesitation and nearly kill Billy to prove that he shouldn't have ever had the power.
While there's still hope for Billy in a showdown between him and Black Adam, it won't be a pretty fight. In fact, Adam will likely make an example of him before Billy finally embraces his inner strength. But even though a hero is likely to come out on top, there's no doubt that Shazam is still grossly unprepared to face Adam. And the power Adam will demonstrate in his film will likely display that in a destructive fashion.
To see Shazam's enemy make his big screen debut, Black Adam opens in theaters Oct. 21.
Brand-new images from Dwayne Johnson's first foray into the superhero genre, DC's Black Adam, have surfaced online thanks to Den of Geek. The exciting new look at the anti-hero and the JSA superhero team arrives a few days ahead of the film's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
The officially released stills feature Johnson as Black Adam interacting with Pierce Brosnan's Dr. Fate, a very powerful and veteran member of the Justice Society of America. Another image includes Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone and Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, the youngest members of the superhero team, contemplating something important at their headquarters. Of course, Teth Adam receives his own image, offering avid fans a very close look at the (mostly) practical superhero suit Johnson dons in the film.
Black Adamwill mark the big-screen debut for the Justice Society of America, a superhero team that consists of Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Swindell as Cyclone, and Centineo as Atom Smasher. The introduction of this DC superhero team to a worldwide audience is meant to kick off a new era of the DCEU according to the film's producer Hiram Garcia, potentially setting up spinoffs for the JSA crew after Black Adam hits theaters. The anti-hero will be squaring off against the superhero team, but the inclusion of Sabbac could indicate a third party will be complicating the highly-anticipated battle.
The supporting cast includes Sarah Shahi set as freedom fighter Adrianna Tomaz, while it’s theorized that James Cusati-Moyer will play her brother, Amon. Behind the scenes, Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra reunites with Johnson to helm the long-awaited superhero project. Now in post-production, actors are currently doing ADR work ahead of its late October release, with Hawkman actor Hodge revealing the film is nearly complete.
Although his name circulated in the DC universe in the 2000s, it was just seven years ago when Johnson confirmed he intended to play Black Adam on the big screen. A lot has changed in the DCEU since then, and while it's frustrating that it took so long, the arrival of Black Adam is nigh. The cast and crew of the highly-anticipated film will be attending San Diego Comic-Con, with speculation pointing towards another trailer arriving sooner rather than later.
Black Adam hits theaters on October 21, 2022. Check out the new official stills and the latest trailer for Black Adam down below:
Teth-Adam chooses his descendant Malik White as a successor to assume control of his lightning powers and guide Khandaq to a bright future, giving him the name White Adam as a symbol of this responsibility.
Malik's sudden ascension to superhero and diplomatic stardom occurs in Black Adam #2. A dying Theo Teth-Adam is infected with a plague that is slowly turning his body into a charred, black mess, and the origins of this disease may be tied to an imposter Darkseid that he battled in flashback scenes in Black Adam #1. Summoning the last of his strength, Black Adam demands that Malik take his ring and utter the magic word "Shazam." After Malik refuses, one of Black Adam's doctors shoots Malik, leaving him with no choice but to follow orders. In an instant, Malik is surrounded by lightning and dressed in a white costume emblazoned with a lightning bolt. "Behold -- my successor, my redeemer," Black Adam says. " From this day forward, now begins the new legacy of White Adam."
Malik, for his part, isn't impressed with his outfit, exclaiming that he's "dressed like a male stripper." After Black Adam tries to explain the rationale behind the White Adam costume and name, pointing out that he hopes for his successor to redeem his violent legacy, Malik mutters, "This 'black = bad, white = good' crap -- you do realize we don't do that anymore."
Despite his skeptical words, Malik does use his powers to teleport Black Adam to a hospital in an attempt to save his distant ancestor's life. Unfortunately, they arrive too late, and the nurse tells him that Black Adam is dead -- leaving the young, fast-talking Malik with a heavy weight on his shoulders as he muses over the massive shoes he's meant to fill.
Future issues of Black Adam have put Malik on the cover and hinted that the death of the series' titular character is only temporary. A plot synopsis for the Black Adam series reads, "Haunted by the specter of centuries of dark deeds, Black Adam transfers his powers to a worthy successor who will redeem Adam's legacy and defend their ancestral homeland of Kahndaq, only to subsequently become mystically 'handcuffed' to him when Adam's plague is arrested, giving birth to perhaps the most volatile and dysfunctional super-team in DC history!"
Black Adam #2 comes from writer Christopher Priest, illustrator Rafa Sandoval, colorist Matt Herms, letterer Willie Schubert, cover artist Irvin Rodriguez and variant cover artists Sandoval, Herms, Brandon Peterson, Imone Di Meo and Rafael Sarmento. The issue is on sale now from DC Comics.
