Star and producer Dwayne Johnson discusses bad-ass introductions, power heirarchies and his long attachment to the Shazam franchise's leading villain-turned-anti-hero in this behind the scenes look at Black Adam. See it in theaters Friday.
Black Adam is Warner Bros. Discovery's 2022 live-action feature film spin-off of the 2019 movie Shazam!, based on the character Black Adam and incorporating elements of the Justice Society of America.
Dwayne Johnson (who has long been attached to the Shazam! franchise, and served as an executive producer on the 2019 film) plays the title role.
Black Adam first appeared in The Marvel Family comics in 1945 He is an ancient Egyptian called Teth-Adam who receives the gift of the wizard Shazam's power long before Billy Batson does, but is ultimate corrupted by them. He is initially presented as a villain. In more recent comics the character has been played less as a villain and more as a ruthless anti-hero, which appears to be the way the movie is going as well.
Warner Bros. provides this synopsis for the movie: Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Actor Aldis Hodge (Lovecraft Country) plays Hawkman in the film. Versions of this character are linked to the same Egyptian period as Teth-Adam.
Noah Centineo (To All The Boys I've Loved Before) has been cast as Atom Smasher, a character who, in the comics, reluctantly teamed with Adam. Atom Smasher was skeptical that the villain was ready to act as a hero. Quintessa Swindell is cast as Maxine Hunkle, better known as Cyclone. Sarah Shahi has also been cast to play a university professor leading freedom fighters in Kahndaq. Pierce Brosnan is playing Kent Nelson, aka Doctor Fate. Viola Davis reprises the role of Amadna Waller. The cast also includes Marwan Kenzari, James Cusati-Moyer and Bodhi Sabongui.
In his social network announcement of the movie, Johnson expressed his affinity for that anti-hero spirit in his post. "I realized that Superman was the hero, I could never be. I was too rebellious. Too rambunctious. Too resistant to convention and authority," the film star wrote. "Despite my troubles, I was still a good kid with a good heart - I just liked to do things my way. Now, years later as a man, with the same DNA I had as a kid - my superhero dreams have come true."
Jaume Collet-Serra (Jungle Cruise) is the director. Beau Flynn, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia are also producing
