After several delays, Dwayne Johnson’s highly anticipated DC film Black Adam is finally nearing its release, and the initial reactions are overwhelmingly positive.
Johnson takes on the titular role in the forthcoming movie, playing one of DC’s most beloved antiheroes from the comic books—a man possessing god-like powers who awakens in the modern era and is often portrayed as an adversary of Shazam! (Zachary Levi).
The former WWE star has consistently asserted that Black Adam will revolutionize the DC landscape, and early reviews seem to support his claim, with critics describing the film as “epic on every level” and a “game-changer.”
Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal of the sorcerer Doctor Fate has also garnered considerable praise from critics.
The cast includes Johnson and Brosnan, as well as Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi as Adriana, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone.
The debut Black Adam trailer premiered earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, offering DC enthusiasts their first real glimpse of the team in action.
Audiences have been curious about the extent of Johnson’s character’s villainy in his DC debut, and director Jaume Collet-Serra shed some light on the subject during the panel discussion.
“He’s like a Dirty Harry-type of character,” he elaborated, stating: “When the system is broken and corrupt, you need someone to dismantle it. That’s what attracted me to the project.”
While certain plot specifics remain closely guarded secrets, we have compiled a substantial amount of information, including an official release date. Continue reading for all the details you need to know.
Release Date
Black Adam is now set to be released in theaters on October 21st, 2022.
The film has experienced multiple delays, initially slated for a December 22nd, 2021 release. However, as expected, the pandemic caused complications that pushed back the release date.
Further issues resulted in the movie being rescheduled for July 29th, 2022, before Warner Bros postponed it once more to October 2022.
In an interview with The Wrap, producer Hiram Garcia cited the VFX pipeline as the reason for the latest Black Adam release date delay.
Garcia explained that most VFX houses are currently overwhelmed with work, causing significant shifts in release dates for major productions. The primary concern is the ability of vendors to accommodate the required VFX work and complete the necessary shots.
Filming commenced in April 2021, with Johnson celebrating the event by sharing the movie’s stylish clapperboard on social media. The shoot concluded in mid-July.
Johnson confirmed on Twitter that the movie’s filming has wrapped, describing it as an incredible journey and the most challenging project of his career, both physically and mentally. He expressed immense gratitude to the 1,000+ crew members, actors, and director Jaume Collet-Serra, adding that the power hierarchy in the DC Universe is changing.
He further remarked, “This has been one for the ages and easily the hardest labor and toughest grind mentally and physically of my entire career. Worth. Every. Second. Love you all. Thank you all.”
- Black Adam streaming release date: November 22.2022
Black Adam Cast
Dwayne Johnson is confirmed as the lead in the film, playing Black Adam, after the former WWE star spent years considering roles as either Black Adam or Shazam. He ultimately chose the former due to the character’s unpredictably rebellious nature.
Noah Centineo is also set to portray Atom Smasher, a DC Comics superhero with the ability to manipulate his size and strength, growing up to 60 feet tall at will.
Aldis Hodge (The Invisible Man) has been confirmed by Variety to star as Hawkman in the upcoming film. This character recently appeared in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, alongside ally Hawkgirl. Hawkman is often depicted as human archaeologist Carter Hall or his alien counterpart, Katar Hol, wearing large (artificial) wings that enable him to fly with great force.
Quintessa Swindell (Trinkets) has been cast as Cyclone, a superhero with wind manipulation powers. Additionally, Marwan Kenzari, known for his roles in Aladdin and The Old Guard, has joined the cast in an unspecified role.
In March 2021, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Pierce Brosnan will portray the magical hero Doctor Fate, marking the former James Bond actor’s first superhero role. Doctor Fate made his DC comics debut in 1940 as the son of an archaeologist who gained sorcery skills from the magical Helmet of Fate. He was a founding member of the Justice Society.
Sex/Life actress Sarah Shahi is also set to appear in Black Adam. According to Deadline, she will portray “a university professor and freedom fighter leading the resistance in Kahndaq,” known as Adrianna.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shahi revealed that she was initially unaware of the movie she was auditioning for when she sent in her tape. She also discussed the significance of her casting as a Middle Eastern actress.
Shahi, who is Persian, said, “I’m Middle Eastern; I’m Persian. And there’s not a lot of Middle Eastern representation out there.” She hopes that Black Adam will help break stereotypes often faced by Middle Eastern actors who are frequently typecast in terrorist roles or based on their appearance.
At the start of filming, the movie added some mystery cast members, including stage actor James Cusati-Moyer and Legends of Tomorrow’s Bodhi Sabongui, who joined the production in undisclosed roles (via Deadline and THR).
Additionally, Uli Latukefu, known for portraying Dwayne Johnson himself in the sitcom Young Rock, has joined the cast in an unspecified role.
There has been considerable speculation about which existing DC heroes might make appearances in Black Adam, with Shazam and Superman being among the most frequently rumored.
Trailer
As mentioned earlier, a stunning trailer for DC’s upcoming film was released during Super Bowl weekend, providing fans with a first look at Black Adam and Doctor Fate, as well as a glimpse into the protagonist’s backstory.
The trailer, which serves as a teaser for all of DC’s 2022 films, features Adam gazing up at a couple of approaching helicopters, while a voiceover says, “My son dreamed of a better world… That’s why he saved me.”
Additionally, the trailer offers a glimpse of co-star Pierce Brosnan as the enigmatic Doctor Fate. Looking into the distance, he invites Black Adam by saying, “Come with us, there’s a glorious world out there, waiting for you.” Check out the trailer below:
As mentioned earlier, a new Black Adam trailer was released in June 2022, providing DC fans with their first real glimpse of Johnson’s portrayal of the popular antihero. To watch the trailer, please search for it on a video platform like YouTube or on the official movie website.
Additionally, thanks to Dwayne Johnson’s Instagram account, we have a photo of the script, giving fans a small preview of the film.
Moreover, new set photos have been shared on Dwayne Johnson’s Instagram page, revealing the impressive scale of the production. To see more images from the making of the movie, visit his Instagram account.
Who is Black Adam? Comic Book Origin Explained
Black Adam is the highly anticipated solo film for one of DC’s most popular antiheroes.
His origin story, as portrayed in Jerry Ordway’s 1994 tale The Power of Shazam!, tells that Black Adam was born thousands of years ago in the fictional Middle Eastern nation of Kahndaq.
Born as “Teth-Adam,” the son of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II, he is granted incredible powers by the high priest and wizard, Shazam.
However, Black Adam becomes corrupted by the demon Blaze, who awakens a power-hungry side within him. As punishment, Shazam strips him of his powers and seals them in a scarab.
The character is later resurrected in the present day, initially as a formidable arch-enemy to Billy Batson (portrayed by Zachary Levi in 2019’s Shazam!), but eventually taking on more antihero characteristics as he evolves.
The Black Adam movie is expected to delve into this origin story. Moreover, the film will introduce the Justice Society of America, a significant addition to the DC Extended Universe.
This superhero team predates the Justice League but is less well-known due to their existence in a parallel universe known as Earth-2.
Producer Hiram Garcia spoke to Collider about the excitement of introducing the Justice Society, specifically Hawkman, a beloved character who holds great significance in the DC universe.
Garcia explained that placing powerful characters like Black Adam into the DC cinematic universe requires surrounding him with characters who can raise the stakes.
As Dwayne Johnson (DJ) often says, the hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change. Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone will face significant challenges when interacting with Black Adam.
Is Black Adam a Sequel To Shazam?
Not exactly. Given their comic book history, it stands to reason that the Black Adam and Shazam movie franchises will be relatively closely connected, but Johnson’s offering is not a direct sequel to the 2019 movie.
That said, rumour has it that the two DC powerhouses could finally come face-to-face in 2024’s Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods, with director David F Sandberg fuelling speculation with a recent photo from the set.
It shows a lightning bolt against a black background that looks suspiciously similar to Black Adam’s trademark logo, although it’s worth noting that Shazam! wears a very similar emblem.
Previously, Zachary Levi had said at CCXP Cologne Convention 2019: “I can say that as far as I know, Black Adam is not going to be in the second Shazam!, because the idea is that they want to go and do a standalone Black Adam movie first.”
“And then it would kind of be, if we do a third Shazam! and a second Black Adam… that’s where we would [meet]. Because he’s like the ultimate bad guy for Captain Marvel / Shazam.”
However, that was a long time ago and it’s quite possible that plans for the two characters to interact have been moved forward.
Final Words
Black Adam film is set to explore the origin story of one of DC’s most popular antiheroes. It will also introduce the Justice Society of America, adding depth to the DC Extended Universe. Although not a direct sequel to 2019’s Shazam!, the two franchises are connected and could potentially feature a crossover in the future.