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Dwayne Johnson reveals Justice Society lineup in Black Adam panel at DC FanDome
While the long-awaited Black Adam movie has yet to start shooting, star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson took to the Hall of Heroes stage at DC FanDome on Saturday (Aug. 22) to say a few words about the film and announce the lineup of heroes who will comprise the movie's Justice Society of America.
Johnson revealed that the team -- which he referred to as both the "JSA" and just the "Justice Society" -- will consist of Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. The first two are founding members of the JSA in the comics, making their debut way back in 1940, while Cyclone and Atom Smasher arrived in 1983 and 1996, respectively.
Out of the four, only Atom Smasher has been cast so far, with Noah Centineo playing the role and joining Johnson via Zoom during the 15-minute panel. Johnson, speaking in character, had a warning for the superhero team: "I'm going to teach them that the only beliefs I fight for are mine."
During his appearance, Centineo alluded to his character's massive strength and ability to grow to giant size, telling Johnson he's been training and adding, "He goes through this transformation in the film; he’s not expecting the world of a superhero."
Aside from Centineo's brief appearance, most of the presentation centered around Johnson pumping up the film and taking a handful of fan questions. It began with a montage of concept art for the movie, with Johnson intoning the history of the character in a voiceover, saying, "I did what needed to be done … and they imprisoned me for it. Now, 5,000 years later, I’m free. And I give you my word … no one will ever stop me again.”
In the comics, Black Adam hails from Egypt and is both a former slave and a forerunner of Shazam, possessed of many of the same powers. Introduced at first as a villain, he has evolved in the comics over time into an antihero of sorts.
Johnson said in response to a question about staying faithful to the character, "There are many iterations of Black Adam that we have all fallen in love with, and what I can promise is that the Black Adam I feel in my heart is the right one to root this origin story in, and will feature all the qualities that you love."
The actor, who has been involved with developing the movie for years, added that he and director Jaume Collet-Serra intend to make a movie that will "go beyond your wildest expectations."
While answering another question about who he would like to team with on a DC adventure (answer: Wonder Woman), Johnson also hinted at a possible confrontation with Superman, saying, "It might be cool to hang out with Superman," adding, "Black Adam and Superman could become friends -- or they won’t."
Johnson, again speaking as Black Adam, issued a warning to Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League as well, saying, "The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change."
Filming on Black Adam has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and is expected to begin later this year, with the film tentatively slated to arrive in December 2021.
