Dwayne Johnson has said the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe will change with Black Adam. Finally, at DC FanDome, we can see what he’s talking about.
What Happened? — At DC FanDome, which kicked off on Saturday, October 16, Dwayne Johnson introduced the first clip of his upcoming DC superhero movie Black Adam, in theaters on July 29, 2022.
Ever the hype man, Johnson promised the film, directed by regular collaborator Jaume Collet-Sera, was still in post-production and wasn’t ready yet to show a full trailer. But with it being DC FanDome, “I felt like I had to bring you guys just a little something special,” Johnson said.
The scene previews the movie’s opening, Johnson explained, which shows him in full costume (and at full power) as Black Adam. When an archaeologist and a squadron of gun-toting mercenaries stumble upon an ancient ruin, they awaken Black Adam.
Dwayne Johnson, as the anti-heroic Black Adam, in the 2022 film Black Adam.Warner Bros. Pictures
Johnson demonstrates Black Adam’s superhero abilities early on, including super strength, speed, and invincibility. You know, kind of like Superman!
But unlike the Man of Steel, Black Adam operates by his own code. That’s demonstrated by Black Adam taking down said mercenaries in pretty brutal ways.
An official upload of the DC FanDome preview of Black Adam isn’t yet available, but you can watch the trailer in Johnson’s tweet below.
Villainous Vibes — Black Adam debuted in DC Comics as a villain for Captain Marvel, now known as Shazam. But Black Adam’s popularity has allowed him to thrive as his own entity, starring in some of his solo comic books and as a main character in Geoff Johns’ run on JSA in the mid-2000s.
Black Adam’s presence in JSA saw him shift from villain to anti-hero, allowing Black Adam to take on more moral shades as a character than your average superhero. With Johnson in the role, Black Adam will undoubtedly be a superhero unlike any we’ve seen before.
Given the new teaser, Black Adam may not just be another superhero movie, but a supervillain movie where the “villain” is in the position of the main protagonist.
Black Adam can do what Superman can. But scarier.Warner Bros. Pictures
Adam. Black Adam. — The Black Adam segment of DC FanDome opened up with, funny enough, Pierce Brosnan. The actor said that despite playing James Bond for ten years, his role as Doctor Fate in Black Adam is unlike anything he’s done before.
The segment introduced Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, who make up the DCEU’s iteration of the Justice Society of America, aka JSA.
DC FanDome also unveiled new concept art of Kahndaq, the fictional civilization that Black Adam hails from, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.
Just like his nemesis Shazam, Dwayne Johnson’s got his own hood and cape. Will the two ever cross paths?Warner Bros. Pictures
The Inverse Analysis — Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam is unbelievably exciting, if only because it’s Dwayne Johnson finally inhabiting a superhero role he was seemingly born to play.
Thus far, Johnson’s hype for Black Adam has been directed at jabbing at Superman. Johnson has frequently spoken about changing the “hierarchy of power” in the DC Universe. If Superman is on top, Johnson has said that his Black Adam will threaten to change that.
But given that Black Adam’s main nemesis has been Shazam, currently played by Zachary Levi, it’ll be curious which flying titan Black Adam will set his fury on first.
Black Adam will open in theaters on July 29, 2022.
