While interest in bringing the character to the big screen started building in the late 2000s, it's taken a while for Black Adam to release in theaters. Starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular antihero, the movie is the next entry in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. And the action-packed film promises to change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe.
Now mere months away from release, the movie will be pivotal in the DCEU's future. There are numerous rumors about the film, namely how it will connect to the Shazam movies it spins off from and how the Man of Steel might tussle with Black Adam. Here's what fans and casual moviegoers should know before the original World's Mightiest Mortal crashes onto the big screen.
Black Adam's Plot and Characters
The story of Black Adam has the protagonist getting revived in the modern world. In the past, he got granted powers by the gods, but these quickly proved to be more curses than blessings. Now, he reawakens in the present, ready to unleash fire and fury upon anyone who stands in his path. Along the way, he'll encounter the Justice Society, a group of heroes with very different ideas of honor and morality. Opposing them all is the terrorist organization Intergang, with their leader Sabbac eventually taking on a demonic form of power.
The Justice Society consists of the likes of the magical Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), the winged warrior Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), the size-changing Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and the air-based Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell). Sarah Shahi portrays Professor Adrianna Tomaz, the DCEU equivalent of Black Adam's wife Isis from the comics. Many of these characters are currently spotlighted in the Black Adam: The Justice Society Files comic books. Viola Davis will also be reprising her role as Amanda Waller in the movie, potentially setting up further appearances for the movie's characters. Hawkgirl was originally going to show up, but there are apparently plans for her elsewhere, leading to her removal from Black Adam.
The Black Adam Trailer
The first trailer for Black Adam released on June 8, 2022, after years of speculation on how the movie will turn out. After all, it officially got announced back in 2014, being developed by New Line Cinema all the way back in the early 2000s. This trailer had Black Adam recounting his torrid life as he became acquainted with the Justice Society, as well as causing random destruction to pretty much anything or anyone that crossed his path. However, the trailer still kept several mysteries, with the villainous Sabbac, for instance, still only seen in toy form.
At San Diego Comic-Con, more footage from the movie was shown, with a new trailer giving some more glimpses at Black Adam's reaction to the Justice Society and his own feelings concerning his powers. From the looks of things, Black Adam absolutely dominates the JSA when he first encounters them, highlighting from the get-go how powerful he is.
The second trailer for Black Adam was recently released, giving glimpses of several heretofore unseen parts of the movie. These include Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, with her connection to the Justice Society showing that her influence goes beyond the Suicide Squad. With a sleek yet private mansion, the former team is shown to be very resourceful themselves, though they might not put up much of a fight against Black Adam. Powerful and demonic villain Sabbac is also briefly seen at one point, with his presence promising to give Black Adam a foe worthy of his fists. Reception toward the trailer saw it as much more eventful than the first, bolstering the building hype of the movie as it nears closer to release.
Black Adam's Production News and Release Date
Following the release of the first Shazam! movie in 2019, New Line Cinema pushed forward on finally making the Black Adam movie. This film was originally going to be part of Shazam!, but the plots were split into two movies after 2017 to develop the title characters separately. Production and filming thundered into high gear in 2020, though the COVID-19 pandemic briefly slowed things down. That meant the initially planned release date of October 21, 2021, was no longer feasible.
Now, Black Adam's set for an October 21, 2022 release date, with the near-Halloween release ironically mirroring fellow anti-hero movie Venom. Like other Warner Bros. movies this year, it will premiere on HBO Max 45 days later, allowing subscribers to watch the film there for a limited time. From there, the future of Black Adam as a character is unknown, though many want him to face off against both Superman and Billy Batson/Shazam.