Before working on Black Adam, the film's director Jaume Collet-Serra admits to having never heard of the DC villain.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, the filmmaker discussed his surprise when Dwayne Johnson, who stars as the titular character, approached him to direct Black Adam. "I did think about that a lot because I didn’t know about Black Adam either," Collet-Serra said, when asked about bringing a relatively obscure character to the big screen. Despite his lack of knowledge of Teth-Adam, the director leaned into this approach, noting that he wanted to focus on the mystery of the character's origins. "This is a movie where you introduce Black Adam right away, and then throughout the movie, you slowly peel back the onion and reveal what happened," Collet-Serra elaborated.

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While Black Adam may not be the most mainstream character, that hasn't stopped Johnson from hyping up the electrifying anti-hero's impact on the DC Extended Universe. The star noted that Teth-Adam's introduction will not only tell a different kind of superhero story but will begin a new phase of the shared cinematic world. "[Collet-Serra] wanted to create a movie that would start the pendulum swing in the DC Universe," said Johnson. "In addition to the hierarchy of power that I've been talking about, this pendulum swing [will] usher in a new era of the DC Universe. A new antihero era; a new era of tone, and a new era of story."

Dwayne Johnson's Role of a Lifetime

Johnson hasn't been shy about discussing his enthusiasm for stepping into the boots of Black Adam, stating that he's waited his whole life to step play the part. "I started training for Black Adam when I came out of the womb," Johnson joked. "I believe I was born to play this character. But in all honesty, this project has been with me for 10 ten years now. The process began when we started to stand the material up and really developed it into what it is present day."

Related: Moon Knight Director Criticizes Black Adam For Wasting a Representation Opportunity

Black Adam won't just introduce the titular anti-hero to the DCEU, it'll further expand the roster of characters with the arrival of the Justice Society of America. Comprising Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher, the film's trailers suggest that the team will attempt to reason with Teth-Adam and persuade him to use his powers for good rather than destruction.

Black Adam crashes into theaters on Oct. 21

Source: Vanity Fair