Black Adam Should Be Man of Steel 2's Villain

Man of Steel may not have gotten the unanimous critical reception Warner Bros. hoped for when the film arrived in theaters in 2013, but that didn't really matter. The film successfully jump-started the DC Extended Universe of movies, and many fans out there didn't care what critics had to say about Superman's triumphant return to the big screen. This was a movie that finally allowed Superman to throw an actual punch, to cut loose, and be accurately portrayed in all his Kryptonian glory on the silver screen.

Still, thanks to the generally lukewarm reception to the film, plans for a Man of Steel sequel were put on hold. Instead of focusing its attention on making a Superman sequel, Warner Bros. set its sights on the second chapter in the infant universe, plans which included expanding the DCEU dramatically.

By introducing Batman and Wonder Woman, the DCEU got a lot bigger very, very fast, and the hype for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was that much more intense. Sure, Superman may not have ended in the best of places at movie's end (dead and buried), but the imminent arrival of November's Justice League seems to herald the return of the Last Son of Krypton. Each new DCEU movie has worked to expand the shared universe, but while Superman was in Dawn of Justice and will have a role to play in the superhero team movie, many fans are still hoping to see a true Man of Steel sequel.

In this universe, Superman's story and solo career as a hero has only just begun, and a lot of people still want to see what a proper Superman sequel would look like, and how it could explore this new and evolving superhero who is only just coming into his own as humanity's ultimate savior. The question, then, is, who should Superman face? What villain would give Superman an actual run for his money?

There are many classic Superman villains in DC's library that would be easy adapt that longtime comic book readers would love to see on the big screen like Brainiac, Metallo, Bizarro, and Cyborg Superman to name a few. But actually, when you consider all of these options, there is only one logical villain to have as the main antagonist in the film—Black Adam.

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Why Black Adam Makes More Sense than Any of Superman's Rogues

As we all know, Dwayne Johnson is officially attached to the role of Black Adam. While he was set to star in a Shazam/Captain Marvel movie alongside the titular superhero, that no longer seems to be the case, as cameras are set to roll on the Billy Batson-starring movie without Johnson on the call sheet. But the actor has been very vocal about his future involvement in the DCEU and he seems very eager to finally portray Black Adam on the big screen. So what clues could lead us to the theory that Black Adam is Man of Steel 2's big villain?

Well, for starters, both Johnson and Henry Cavill sure do like to hint at it. In 2014, a year after Man of Steel's release, Johnson tweeted a picture of Black Adam fighting both Captain Marvel and Superman with the caption, “Someone's gonna get it.” While it was easy to assume he was referring to Shazam, the fact that Superman was also in that picture is impossible not to read into. Then, there was a much more recent post on Cavill's Instagram page on Christmas day, 2016: a picture of both actors sharing a drink together, the caption hinting at things to come. Was this simply a gentlemen's afternoon out, or a meeting to prepare for and discuss the future of two DC powerhouses?

There are only so many in-development projects for Black Adam to appear in now that Shazam has been taken off the board, so it’s strange that Johnson -- a big name actor with a franchise saving reputation -- has no confirmed appearances in the DCEU. While a Justice League cameo might still happen, it's unlikely the character will get much screen-time in such a massive and already busy movie. With Suicide Squad 2, The Flash, Nightwing, Batgirl and Gotham City Sirens all in various stages of pre-production, a starring role in Man of Steel 2 makes the most sense for Black Adam.

While some would much rather see Superman-specific villains in the sequel, Black Adam would actually be a much better fit. Think about it: Were Brainiac to be the movie's villain, it would most likely be a retread of Zod's invasion of Earth and Superman's fight with a tentacled machine, as seen in Man of Steel. Were either Bizarro or Cyborg Superman to be featured as the main antagonist, it would just look like a different-yet-similar spin on Superman's massive clash with Doomsday in Batman v. Superman, a fight with a monstrous creature of equal or similar force to him. Metallo, for his part, could be a part of the sequel, but the villain doesn't have it in him to carry an entire movie's worth of plot. At best, he's suitable as a side-villain, or someone for Superman to tackle in the opening segments of the movie.

But Black Adam is another beast entirely. He has a long history in comic books that could easily be adapted into a fascinating addition to the DCEU. He has a very deep and personal backstory that would easily make him relatable and sympathetic. Perhaps most importantly, he's a powerful force of nature that can give us all the epic clashes a Superman movie demands. Furthermore, as he is powered by magic, one of Superman's weaknesses, we could have a villain who would not only stand on equal ground (or air) with the Kryptonian, but also pose a very real threat to his life. A villain that can, well, make Superman bleed.

Sure, he might not be the first villain most fans think of as Man of Steel 2's main antagonist, and some would undoubtedly prefer other, more traditionally Superman villains instead. But Black Adam would bring about something entirely new to the DCEU -- a villain we can actually find ourselves rooting for. It's a battle that can be well understood from both sides of this super-powered coin. Black Adam has some very different views on the world, views that would assuredly clash with what Superman stands for while being (on some level) understandable and relatable for the audience, and the cinematic face-off between both actors would be nothing short of epic. This just might be the best way to approach Man of Steel 2 and assure that it becomes an absolute hit.

Cavill and Johnson. Alien and magic. A clash of gods.