In October 2022, Dwayne Johnson will make his debut in the DC Extended Universe with his upcoming superhero movie, Black Adam. What makes the film so uniquely different from other comic book films is that the character of Black Adam seems to straddle the line between villain and antihero. This is true to the comics, where he occupied both roles. Judging from the trailer, Johnson seems more than capable of playing the morally ambiguous Adam, which would have made him perfect for playing another character: Jack Reacher.
Obviously, Johnson's physical size would have made him a good candidate for the role currently played by Alan Ritchson on Amazon Prime Video's Reacher, which is headed for a second season. However, Johnson's performance in the Black Adam trailers shows that he would have easily nailed some personality traits that Reacher has. This includes the independent spirit of Reacher and the ability to be magnetic even when he's giving in to his short temper.
Like Reacher, Black Adam Doesn't Care What People Think
If there is anything that viewers have learned from Prime Video's Reacher, it's that the titular character does not care much about what people think of him -- or even about breaking the rules of law. For Reacher, it is all about doing what he considers right, even if it involves hurting or killing others. And judging from the first trailer for Black Adam, the titular character follows a similar code. After living a lifetime as a slave and witnessing the death of his son, Black Adam only seems interested in doing what he feels is right in his quest for revenge, even if it involves doing things that make him a villain in other people's eyes.
Black Adam's moral ambiguity is a wonderful departure for Johnson, who normally plays more crowd-pleasing roles in projects like Jungle Cruise or the Jumanji movies. However, as Black Adam, he seems at home as a character who does what he wants, no matter how bad it seems to others -- even the audience. As Black Adam, Johnson shows he's more than capable of playing a character who is willing to get his hands dirty -- just like Reacher.
Black Adam Shares Reacher's Short Temper
Reacher also is known for his temper, and judging from the trailers, Black Adam has one as well. Using his "power born from rage," Black Adam tosses a person into the sky for hitting him in the face and even takes down a fighter jet just because its pilot made the mistake of ordering him to land. Although these scenes are played to comic effect, Johnson still portrays them with the right combination of menace and magnetism so that viewers can't help but want to watch him -- even when he's doing something horrible. This also would have made him a good fit for Reacher.
Although the Reacher role has already been taken by an actor who has proven himself to be a good fit, fans of Johnson should hope that Black Adam opens him up to darker, edgier roles. These might allow him to take more risks and build on an already rock-solid (pun-intended) career.
To see Dwayne Johnson in a much different role, Black Adam hits theaters on Oct. 21.