Even before being cast as Carter Hall/Hawkman in Black Adam, Aldis Hodge was already well-versed in the character. A self-professed comic book guy, The Invisible Man actor read graphic novels growing up. He knew of Hawkman's confusing backstory and that it might be tricky to capture that history on the big screen. He also recognized this was his opportunity to join the world of capes and costumes.
In Black Adam, Hawkman and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) represent the senior members of the Justice Society of America. Newer recruits include the younger Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell). The movie pits the original DC super squad against Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), a 5,000-year-old antihero who recently awoke from his slumber and escaped his centuries-long imprisonment. He doesn't agree with the JSA's rules of conduct, especially regarding killing, which results in some epic rumbles and brawls. Hodge recently spoke with CBR about adapting Hawkman's complicated history, suiting up in costume, wirework, clashing with Black Adam, and the future of his character.
CBR: These days, there is a plethora of superhero movies. What was the appeal of joining the DCEU?
Aldis Hodge: The DC Universe is a great opportunity to display these superhero stories in a very different way. I grew up on graphic novels. Black Adam has played both sides. It depends on his agenda. That is where we see a difference. Most superheroes deal with a particular code. They follow their own code of justice that they universally accept and agree to. They color within the lines, which gives us fantastic adventures. Black Adam has his own code. If you are not dancing to his beat, there are no rules but his.
We get to see people take different kinds of risks that we haven't seen taken before. We get to live in a world where it truly is unpredictable because we don't know what Black Adam is going to do. We don't how far he is going to take it and to what extent. At the end of the day, we understand him. If we were in his position, we would be doing the same thing as far as making sure we are protecting ours, to the best of our ability, with all of our capabilities at hand. For me, it's a really awesome way to step out and show a different side of what the word "superhero" means.
Comic book readers will tell you that Hawkman has one of the most convoluted backstories. What is your version of the character? What did you want to zero in on?
I am not going to tell you his origin, but I will tell you that wrestling with the backstory was a bit of a thing for me because I know it very well. When we decided on which origin we were pulling from, I said, "This makes absolute sense." With him, I wanted to make sure that there was a nod to the fact that he has lived so many lives, so what does that look like? What is his personality? There is a regal nature to him, and there's also a sense of wisdom. There is a sense of understanding. There is also a man who is moving with a larger purpose.
For those who do understand what his backstory is, they know why. Hawkman does have a strict sense of justice. The thing that I love most is he truly is a fighter. Because of his history, because of his history and why he is the way he is… why he is roped into being reincarnated time after time, life and life… he has to stick to a very specific code. There is an earnest nature about who he is and why he does what he does. There's a greater need for doing what he does. I do hope, at one point, we get to fully explore that for the audience.
As a man who has lived that long and has ties to Egyptian mythology, do you feel Carter Hall has a better understanding of Black Adam than some of the other characters?
I think he definitely does. Granted, in his original form, Carter was alive probably around the time Black Adam was alive in his human form. He knew the times. They go back a little bit. For me, I am not saying what happens or what might not happen in the film, but in my personal process, they definitely understand each other. There is a general understanding, and to a degree, a certain mutual respect at some point.
Even if they may disagree with their tactics, I believe Hawkman does understand exactly why Black Adam is motivated the way he is because he understands the world he came from. He understands why he came from this setting. Regardless of how begrudging they become with one another, I think there is still that foundation of understanding their motivations, which is how they learn to deal with one another. That's where the fun starts. The audience will have a fun time watching these two go at it, I'll tell you that much.
It's not just Hawkman fighting the good fight. There are other members of the Justice Society, including Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. What does that team dynamic look like?
The team dynamic is awesome. We have the history and relationship between Hawkman and Doctor Fate, which I love. It's really fantastic. I just have to say Pierce Brosnan is fricking amazing and perfect for the role. It was quite an honor to work with him and a really big surprise, too. They kind of kept it secret for a little bit. After the cast was rounded out, we were waiting on Doctor Fate. We kept asking Director Jaume Collet-Serra, "Yo, who is he?" "It's going to be a surprise." When we found out, we kind of lost our shit a little bit.
With the JSA, the dynamic is pretty awesome and unique in the fact that this is really the first superhero team. They kind of created the superhero team dynamic. They created the makeup and rules. They are, of course, dealing with their own personal lives and their sense of justice and why they are here and understanding the risks. There are big risk factors. Every day, stepping into this responsibility, we see that it is a choice. We see that they choose to go into danger, but they still have a lot to learn and a lot of ways to grow. With this particular team that we see now, we have a few upper statesmen, if you will -- a couple of OGs. Then, we have a few young rookies. So, we get to see the mindset of people who started. We get to see the mindset, to a degree, [of] what they would have been like when they started, through the eyes and through the experience of these younger team members.
By the way, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo are equally amazing. They are a lot of fun to watch, [and] a lot of fun to be around. Great, great human beings. They kind of fill out their roles, just naturally. I think people are going to really like the dynamic between those two because it is a lot of fun. They are funny as hell, but it's a nice, refreshing look at what a unit is. We have to figure it out, sometimes on the fly. You are in the battlefield with your brother, your sister, right next to you... You have to make some decisions. When you make those tough decisions in the moment, that's when you become family. That's what we get to see in this film. You get to see this JSA team really, truly become family.
In the trailers, audiences witness Hawkman in his full glory, spreading his wings and going into battle. What was your impression of the costume and the wings? How did those elements evolve over time?
The costume is amazing. My only fear about the costume was hoping I could work out enough to fill it out. That was like a little five-year-old trying to wear his dad's clothes. When you step onto a set with DJ [Dwayne Johnson]... DJ and his whole team, everybody is buff. It's not a competitive thing but a motivating thing. You are like, "Oh, dang. Alright, let me get up at 4 a.m. and get to the gym." You get to learn how people do it. It's the mindset of adopting those habits you otherwise would not want. Getting up at 4 and disciplining yourself to eat a certain way, it becomes a job and a lifestyle. That's dedication. It's a practice that I really learned in terms of understanding my body and how to treat it. I am really glad for the education. I just need to keep it up. Right now, I have some daddy weight going on that I need to lose.
The costume is amazing. It's really fantastic. I am super proud of it. The wings are awesome. I remember when they first showed me the graphic art of the wings, they showed me several different options. We went through them, and they were like, "Which ones do you want?" So, they brought me in on the choice of which ones that we get to see, which I thought was just amazing. There is some symbology to the wings. They have some of my mom's favorite colors in them, so it was like a nod to mom. Man, just to see how massive they actually were... When I was walking on set, I have to keep in mind how big these things are and taking up space. I'm making sure I am not standing directly next to somebody when I have my wings on because I would be slapping people with my wings all day. They are huge. Then, when I saw how they moved and how my character moves in the air, I was blown away. We get to see somebody fly in a different way than we have ever seen before. I can't wait for the audience to see it. It's like poetry in the air.
Let's elaborate on that. What went into making you soar? What was your wirework experience?
We would start the days pretty early. I got down there a couple of months before we started shooting so I could train with the wirework team. We had a fantastic team. I remember the first day getting in the wires. They took me up and then brought me all the way down so I could land. They took me up about 40 feet. In my mind, I was like, "We don't want to start at 5 feet and figure it out from there? We don't want to ease our way into this?" Regardless of how macho, manly, or strong you think you are, there is nothing that prepares you for going up 40 feet in the air and looking directly at the ground. "OK, we are going to drop you now." "Wait. What?" You are speeding towards the ground, and you just have to challenge your fears, which was the best part of the experience for me.
Again, our rigging team was top-tier in the world. I felt super comfortable and safe with the team, but I still had to challenge my fear of heights. They pull you up and are like, "Ready? Action." You are sitting up in the air for a little bit. Sometimes you are carrying other people with you. All you see when you are heading towards the ground [is] you see the ground rushing at you. By mechanics, you have to figure out how to manage your weight, balancing your weight, because of where the harness is holding you. You have to learn your body in a completely different way.
What action sequence are you most proud of? What can you tease?
I'll say this. All the action sequences are insane for different reasons. Yes, this is Black Adam, but DJ shared the space to really let the JSA breathe and shine, as well. We get to see everybody at their most heightened point of using or introducing what they can do. Every single battle has a little something different where you are introducing something new. If I had to pick out some favorites, that last battle scene... There are some powerful things that go down. It's like every battle in the film is a bit of a crescendo that leads up to this battle. This thing is huge. It is epic.
Hopefully, Hawkman gets to whack some people with his mace.
Oh, that happens. Yes, indeed.
Between a possible Black Adam sequel, Shazam, and the Justice League films, the possibilities for Hawkman seem endless. Where would you like to see the character go next?
I'd like to see a Hawkman film. I would like to explore more of Hawkman and, of course, the obvious elephant in the room, which is his torrid love story with Hawkgirl. I'd like to see what that looks like. Also, I'd like to live in the space with these other characters. I would love to see Hawkman dip a toe into a Black Adam sequel, but building up the JSA and seeing what that looks like would be fantastic.
Black Adam opens in U.S. theaters Oct. 21.