Almost every hero has a evil counterpart that is similar in move and power set. And that is the same for Shazam! whose nemesis is Black Adam. So it seems perfect for WB to drop a new trailer for “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson during today’s DC panel at SDCC.
Though the trailer is a bit on the short side, there are still plenty of teasing moments and a few quotes that give us a sense of the story.
“My powers are not a gift, but a curse,” Black Adam says in a voiceover that’s set against the contrasts of heroism and tragedy. “Born out of rage,” the titular anti-hero is ready to unleash his unique form of justice upon the world.
In the comics, Black Adam was first introduced as a villain to Shazam, who shared a lot of the same god like powers of strength, durability, speed, and lightning. More recently, Black Adam has shifted to more of an anti-hero role, whose methods would be constantly questioned but have noble goals. It’s the perfect kind of character suited for Johnson, who has been actively developing a Black Adam feature for years.
“Black Adam, you believe you are not worthy. But you have two paths,” Pierce Brosan’s Dr. Fate offers. “You can be the destroyer of this world, or you can be its savior.”
“The world needed a hero, instead, it got me,” Black Adam says.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, a winged hero who uses a morning star made of Nth metal. Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) plays Atom Smasher, a young hero who can alter his molecular structure. Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone plays a hero with the power of aerokinesis and is the granddaughter of Red Tornado. And Pierce Brosnan (the “Mamma Mia!” and James Bond franchises) plays as Dr. Fate.
“Black Adam” also stars Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”), Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Mummy”), , Mo Amer (“Mo,” “Ramy”), and Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”).
Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay written by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC, based on characters created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers are Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Dany Garcia, with Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Eric McLeod, Geoff Johns and Scott Sheldon executive producing.
Opens in theaters on October 21, 2022.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
