After a few false starts and delays, DC's Black Adam is coming to the big screen next July, starring Dwayne Johnson as the eponymous anti-hero. The film has been hotly anticipated ever since its first announcement in 2014 and some detail has surfaced about what fans can expect.
Black Adam is set to be the 11th film in the DC extended universe or DCEU which began way back in 2013. Johnson was in talks to portray the character as the villain in 2019's Shazam! but was selected to star in a solo vehicle instead, with intention to become the villain of the sequel.
Black Adam was first introduced in 1945 Otto Binder and C.C. Beck, when the character was owned by Fawcett Comics. Teth-Adam was a corrupted predecessor to Shazam, then known as Captain Marvel, who faced off against the hero and was almost immediately killed in his first appearance. In 1994, long after DC acquired the rights to the stable of characters, Black Adam was granted a new backstory and plot. In the more modern adaptation, Black Adam is an alter ego of an archeologist who discovers the original's tomb. While originally a villain, the character reforms and seeks justice with a violent eye for an eye philosophy. The character has varied wildly in his numerous appearances, but the film seems to be going for a violent anti-hero take which will transition into full villainy in later stories.
Based on the limited plot and casting details available, Black Adam will be set in the chronological past of the DCEU, decades back from the modern events of Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice and contemporaries. The plot of the film is currently unknown, but many elements and characters have been made clear. The casting sheets have revealed the presence of the Justice Society of America.
The JSA was the first superhero team in comic books, but after a few universe-spanning events, they are now a World War II-era predecessor to the Justice League. In the comics, Black Adam has both opposed and joined the JSA, both a nemesis and a provisional member at different times. The list of confirmed characters reveals a few interesting details to set fans' expectations for the film.
A handful of members of the aforementioned JSA have been confirmed and cast in the film. Noah Centineo has been cast as the superhero Atom Smasher, a superhero capable of altering his density, size, and strength through full control of his molecular structure. Atom Smasher has been linked routinely with Black Adam in the comics, including at one point quitting the JSA together to forge their own group.
Fellow JSA member Hawkman will also make an appearance, portrayed by Aldis Hodge. Hawkman is the most recent incarnation of an Egyptian prince who wields a fantastical metal to fly with feathered wings, and his history routinely crosses over with Adam's ancient past. Quintessa Swindell plays Cyclone, who can manipulate wind and sound, granddaughter of former JSA member Red Cyclone. The final JSA member confirmed is Pierce Brosnan as Kent Nelson, A.K.A. Doctor Fate. Fate is a powerful sorcerer, a combination of an archaeologist and an ancient deity. As a character Fate is fun, but he also represents an exciting opportunity to get into the weirder aspects of DC comics' universe in the DCEU.
The final character confirmed by the cast list is perhaps the most important when it comes to guessing the plot; Sarah Shani as Adrianna Tomaz. In the comics, Tomaz is eventually granted the title of Isis, a superhero wielding the power of the Egyptian deity of the same name. She is also the love interest of Black Adam and the calming influence that turns him from dictator to compassionate ruler. She is initially gifted to Adam as a slave by the criminal empire Intergang, which is also confirmed to appear in the film.
While a gang of criminals might seem like a paltry challenge to a force as great as Black Adam or the JSA, Intergang is armed with New Gods technology, serving under universal threats like Darkseid. With this information, Black Adam will likely feature Intergang as a powerful group of antagonists, the rise of Tomaz to become Isis and the back and forth between Adam and the JSA.
Black Adam was originally set to be directed by Peter Segal, but in summer 2019, the role was filled by Jaume Collet-Serra. Collet-Serra has been directing films since 2005, initially best known for horror films such as House of Wax and Orphan. Interestingly, Shazam! director David F. Sandberg also cut his teeth in the world of horror before directing the introduction of Adam's nemesis.
Collet-Serra also served as director for several action films, mostly starring Liam Neeson, including Unknown, Non-Stop and The Commuter. His newest film is the recently released Jungle Cruise, where he first worked with Dwayne Johnson. Reportedly, Johnson, who is producing Black Adam as well as starring in it, was impressed with Collet-Serra's work on their previous film and personally selected him to direct. He has referred to the character as a Dirty Harry type and said that the role will allow Johnson to show off a darker side.
While only some is known about the plot of Black Adam, the existing information and the backlog of character history provides a fantastic jumping-off point for the movie. Fans who have eagerly awaited Dwayne Johnson's turn as the godlike anti-hero will finally get to see the film when it premieres next July.