Can you smell what Black Adam is cooking?
Comic book movies and TV series have been popular and sought out for a long time. The reason is that it achieves what the majority of films and television programs do, which is to entertain. Marvel and DC Comics are two of the leaders in the comic world, especially when it comes to the superhero genre that most are familiar with. Since the late 20th century, both comic book brands have been vying to establish their cinematic universes with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. The rivalry between the two goes deep with many arguing that while the MCU has achieved more tremendous success than the DCEU, the DCEU's plots are better, richer, and more realistic, particularly in terms of character growth.
There is no arguing against the success of the MCU and how it has made some outstanding films over the years and because there are multiple releases in a year, the conversation around MCU is always happening. However, despite their success at the box office, some solo MCU films don't seem to always live up to the excitement surrounding them and the expectations of viewers. Whereas DCEU movies have tended to focus on developing one or two characters at a time rather than squeezing several characters and gags as they can. Nevertheless, the DCEU has also successfully demonstrated in Zack Snyder's Justice League that it is capable of producing equally effective team-up movies with the right setup and direction.
But this year, the DC has taken a page from Marvel’s book and has various movies lined up over the year. The Batman was the first movie to be released in 2022 and will be followed by DC’s League of Super Pets. Also on the list is Black Adam, expected to debut in theaters on October 21. The anticipation for Black Adam is immense and is expected to be DCU's next great success.
Black Adam is a spin-off to the 2019 movie Shazam!. Thousands of years before Billy Batson was given his magical powers, Shazam, the sorcerer, chose another champion: Teth-Adam, more commonly known as Black Adam. He is one of the greatest magicians in history and has a long history of playing both the good guy and the bad guy.
Black Adam, a recurring adversary of Earth's heroes, thinks he is the best candidate to rule humanity and that any decision he makes is important for the benefit of all. Currently, it is uncertain how the film relates to Shazam!, however, it seems that Adam might have been able to leave his cell as a result of the Wizard's death. Even if the movie's storyline details haven't been publicly revealed yet, we can expect to see Black Adam restore his throne. This might lead to the Justice Society of America (JSA) opposing him, which would result in a conflict between Black Adam and the superheroes.
Keep reading below to find out who plays who in one of the most anticipated superhero movies of the year.
Related:McFarlane Toys 'Black Adam' Figures for Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Sabbac Revealed
Dwayne Johnson is taking on the role of the film's titular anti-hero, Black Adam. Teth-Adam was once a hero of mankind and became the ruler of Kahndaq as a result of his outstanding bravery, brave heart, and divine powers that the wizards bestowed upon him but later allowed his powerful position to corrupt his morals and passions, when he mistakenly unleashed the Seven Deadly Sins from their prison, killing a vast number of people when his family was murdered. Shazam banished the man, now known as Black Adam, and the movie sees his release from the magical prison after 5000 years and will recount his journey back to the real world. Black Adam was endowed with the great abilities of the Egyptian Gods. Adam possesses superhuman strength and speed. He can carry objects that are heavier than his weight and can run and soar at jet-like speeds and quickly catch up to objects. He also has superhuman reflexes and can catch anything in midair like gunshots and rockets before they even strike him. Some of his other powers are invulnerability, flight, longevity, and electrokinesis.
Since 2014, Dwanye Johnson has been considered to portray Black Adam. It was announced that Shazam! and Black Adam, one of Shazam's most renowned antagonists, would have two different movies to give each character its needed attention and justice. The project has endured throughout the years thanks to Johnson's love and devotion to the character.
Dwayne Johnson, most popularly known as The Rock, is an American actor, businessman, and former professional wrestler. He wrestled for WWE for eight years before deciding to pursue a career in acting. He is universally acknowledged as one of the best professional wrestlers of the era. Johnson made his screen debut in The Mummy Returns in 2001. The Scorpion King, where he starred as the movie's eponymous character, was released the following year. Johnson has established himself as a hugely prominent actor and served as the protagonist of numerous blockbuster movies. He appeared in the Disney movies The Game Plan, Race to Witch Mountain, Moana, and Jungle Cruise, while also starring in action-adventure films like Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, San Andreas, Skyscraper, the Fast and Furious franchise, the Jumanji franchise, Red Notice, and many others.
Pierce Brosnan will be starring as Kent Nelson, known for his title as Doctor Fate. Kent Nelson, the first Doctor Fate, is a Swedish-American who with his father unearthed the tomb of Nabu, a cosmic being connected with the Lords of Order. Nelson was raised in the ways of magic by Nabu for two decades after his father was accidentally killed by a deadly gas released from his tomb. The first mortal host to serve as Doctor Fate in the recently altered universe was Kent Nelson. With no longer having a body to make for himself, Nabu severely treats this version of Nelson, initially using him as an unconscious vessel to appear in the physical world. As a result of a subsequent magical battle involving one of Nabu's former associates, Nelson finally takes control of his body. Nelson received the Lord of Order's mystical amulet, helmet, and cloak before he began his career as a mystic superhero. With the use of the Helmet of Fate and his magical prowess, Kent Nelson became one of the founding members of the Justice Society.
In the DC Universe, Doctor Fate is regarded as a strong sorcerer who is almost unparalleled in the art of casting spells. With the combined power of all the artifacts connected to Nabu, Doctor Fate is thought to have almost unstoppable magical abilities like teleportation, flight, invisibility, dimensional traveling, necromancy, and much more.
Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor and film producer most notably known for his role as James Bond in the Bond film series. He began his acting career on stage before becoming well-known for his role in the 1982–1987 television series Remington Steele. Following the series' conclusion, Brosnan made appearances in movies including Mrs. Doubtfire and the Cold War spy drama The Fourth Protocol. Following his success as James Bond, Brosnan went on to star in several high-profile movies, including the epic catastrophe adventure Dante's Peak and the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Some of his other films include Mamma Mia!, The Ghost The Writer, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The November Man, The Foreigner, The Misfits, The King’s Daughter, and many more
Aldis Hodge plays the role of Carter Hall, more commonly known as Hawkman. Carter Hall, an archeologist, and a museum curator is the reincarnation of an old Egyptian prince, Khufu, and made his debut in the 1940s Flash Comics No. 1. He invented the costumed persona Hawkman and, in keeping with the era, fought both criminals and the Nazis after discovering something termed "Nth metal" that allowed him to defy gravity. There have been many variations of the hawk-themed hero, and it all relates to Prince Khufu, who was cursed to be reincarnated endlessly and become a hero with a hawk theme. This establishes Hawkman as an immortal and, as shown in numerous incarnations, perpetually eager to wield traditional weaponry to take out the evil guys. Even though he has a good heart, he may be ruthless when enraged. The movie will specifically explore what this entails for his interaction with Black Adam, a morally dubious figure, with an added mix of superhero fistfights and blowouts.
A few of the intriguing, otherworldly abilities that Hawkman possesses include the ability to breathe underwater, a millennia's worth of experiences and wisdom, as well as the ability to communicate with various animal species after years of studying the methods of the hawk and other well-known animals' languages. These however do not take into account the abilities Carter Hall possessed before realizing who he was, such as archaeology, the ability to use a variety of weapons, including the more primitive fighting axes and maces for which he is best known, and a high aptitude for scientific creation. Additionally, Hall's Nth metal improves his strength and vision, speeds up recovery, and controls body temperature, reducing the need for bulky protective garments while flying at high elevations. Hall is a clever tactician, a fierce warrior, and a strong leader as a result of his countless lifetimes and extensive experience.
Aldis Hodge is an American actor who made his film debut as Raymond in Die Hard with a Vengeance, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Hodge is a familiar face in the television world with some of his notable characters being Alec Hardison in Leverage and Leverage: Redemption, Decourcy Ward in City on a Hill, Noah in Underground, and other memorable recurring characters. Hodge had a very productive professional year in 2020 thanks to his roles in One Night in Miami and The Invisible Man.
Noah Centineo will be playing a metahuman known as Atom Smasher, also known as Albert Rothstein, one of the founding members of the Justice Society with the ability to manipulate his molecular structure that affects his size, speed, and strength. He acquired his superpowers from his supervillain grandfather. In a fight with Rothstein's grandfather, Al Pratt, also known as Atom, a superhero who gained extraordinary strength raised Rothstein as his own. Rothstein's outfit was modeled after Atom. He has an angry, vindictive, and frequently domineering demeanor, but is fiercely devoted. Despite being a hero, he routinely finds himself either killing someone or being stopped just before committing the act.
When Rothstein meets Black Adam, who has recently undergone rehabilitation, this dubious moral code comes to an intriguing encounter. After Black Adam makes the decision to turn to the good side and tries to join the JSA, Rothstein starts interacting with him. Because of Adam's terrible track record, Rothstein starts their new relationship with a deep mistrust of him, but this quickly changes as the two grow close over their mutual passion for killing evil people. The two eventually become close friends and leave the JSA together. For a brief period, the two are inseparable, but it soon ends when Rothstein's life descends into chaos. Atom Smasher is one superhero that has quite a moral journey. He transitions from being an immoral anti-hero to a war criminal to an honorable JSA member. Since Black Adam and the character are so closely related, fans should be eager to see how the relationship between the two pan out in the movie.
Noah Centineo is an American actor and model best known among romantic comedy lovers for his performance as Peter Kavinsky in the Netflix romantic comedy films To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and its sequel To All the Boys: Always and Forever. Some of his other rom-coms include SPF-18, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, The Perfect Date, and Swiped.
Sarah Shahi will be taking the role of Adrianna Tomaz, who in the original comics is Isis. Adrianna Tomaz, an Egyptian refugee, is sold into slavery and given as a present to Black Adam. Black Adam is enamored by her for her tenacity and warmth. Adrianna receives an ancient amulet imbued with Shazam's magic, giving her the abilities of Isis and control over the elements of nature. She then sets out with Black Adam to alter the course of history and locate her brother, Amon, who is found to be wheelchair-bound, but Black Adam grants the boy some of his abilities, and he transforms into the great Osiris.
But due to the tragic advent of the unrelated terrorist organization ISIS in the real world, these individual characters were eliminated from their positions of importance. Although they do show up, Amon and Adrianna never transform into Isis and Osiris. The Black Adam trailer includes a brief glimpse of Adrianna and Amon (Bodhi Sabongui) in their DCEU iterations. Adrianna is seen replicating her character's role as a Kahndaqui professor in the original program. Additionally, Intergang is rumored to appear in the film, possibly indicating that the movie may adapt its relationship with Amon from the comics. These two characters have not received as much attention even though they are crucial to Black Adam, particularly when compared to the JSA, and it will be interesting to see how the movie plays this out.
Aahoo Jahansouzshahi known professionally as Sarah Shahi is an American actress and has an impressive portfolio comprising both film and television appearances. She played Jenny in Alias, Tina Torres in Teachers in 2006, Renee Royce in the NBC TV series Chicago Fire, Sameen Shaw in the 2012–2016 season of the CBS crime thriller Person of Interest, and Dani Reese in Life. She also appeared in the television show Reverie as Mara Kint in 2018 and had a recurring role on Showtime's City on a Hill. Her last TV appearance was as Billy Connelly in the main role in 2021’s Sex/Life.
Marwan Kenzari plays the villainous Sabbac. In the comics, the alter ego of Ishmael Gregor, a Russian immigrant who had become a New York City crime leader, is a version of Sabbac with enhanced demonic abilities and a horned hairy beast-like appearance instead of the more conventional human form. Similar to Shazam, Gregor can transform into Sabbac or change back to normal by saying the name of the demonic force and receives the abilities of Satan when he assumes the shape of Sabbac. Superhuman strength, agility, and endurance are some traits, in addition to the ability to fly and the capacity to project fire from his mouth and hands.
Little is known about Sabbac's part in the movie because the trailer is centered on Black Adam's fight with the JSA, but it is anticipated that Sabbac would pose a sufficient threat to drive Black Adam and the Justice Society to put aside their differences and work together to defeat their common foe considering the character's powers in the comics.
Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari began his acting career in 2008, but it wasn't until 2013's Wolf that he first gained fame and a Golden Calf for Best Actor. He has been a leading man in various English-language movies since 2016, including Aladdin - in which he played the villainous sorcerer Jafar and as an immortal mercenary Yusuf al-Kaysani in The Old Guard, which helped him gain fame across the globe. He is set to reprise his Old Guard role in the The Old Guard 2, which is set to debut next year.
Quintessa Swindell will be starring as the metahuman Cyclone, the alter ego of Maxine Hunkel and a new member of the Justice Society of America. Cyclone is a dynasty superhero that joined the illustrious Justice Society of America to continue a family tradition. In this instance, it was Maxine Hunkel's grandmother, Abigail Hunkel, better known as Red Tornado to superheroes. The Cyclone Kids, a pair of young sidekicks of Red Tornado, served as inspiration for Maxine Hunkel's alter ego because, unlike her grandma, she is a superhero with superhuman skills.
But how Cyclone acquired her powers is a tragic story. It all began when Maxine was kidnapped by a deranged scientist in her early years and given the same nanobyte injections that were used to make the android Red Tornado. It took time, but Maxine would ultimately master the same wind manipulation as the android invention and utilize it to her favor for good. Cyclone’s name comes from her ability to summon whirlwinds, project wind blasts, and fly by accidentally gliding along a river or by producing a burst of wind strong enough to direct her path. She can also utilize her skills to deflect incoming items away from her.
Quintessa Swindell is an American actor most known for playing Tabitha Foster in the Netflix drama Trinkets, for a brief cameo as Anna in the HBO series Euphoria, and as Laila in HBO’s In Treatment. Swindell will be starring in the lead position in the rock climbing thriller Deadpoint and has been cast in Master Gardener starring Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver.
Other cast members include James Cusati-Mayor, Bodhi Sabongui, Mo Amer, and Uli Latukefu.
Related:'Black Adam': Everything We Know So Far About Release Date, Cast, Filming Details & More
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