With the official word that Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” is coming in 2021, the talk surrounding the film isn’t so much about when it’s going to happen but more about what the superhero film will include. And according to the star of the flick, “Black Adam” is a solo film, but it will likely have plenty of other heroes filling out its roster.
Speaking to ScreenRant, Johnson confirmed a couple of key aspects to “Black Adam,” including the lack of Shazam and the inclusion of one of DC Comics’ most revered superhero teams.
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It’s long been rumored that “Black Adam” wouldn’t just be a story that features the title anti-hero battling no-name villains, as characters such as Hawkman, Stargirl, and Isis have all been named as potential supporting characters. Well, according to Johnson, “Black Adam” will also be the film that introduces film audiences to the Justice Society of America, aka the JSA.
“JSA. We will introduce you to that, the world to JSA,” said Johnson after being asked about the superhero team.
For those not steeped in DC comics lore, the JSA is a superhero team consisting of characters such as Green Lantern (not the one you saw in the 2011 film), The Flash (not the one you saw in “Justice League”), Doctor Fate, the Hourman, the Spectre, Hawkman, the Atom, and more. The JSA actually predates the Justice League and was the comic book publisher’s first major superhero team.
As for the elephant in the room, Shazam, who factors heavily into the mythology of “Black Adam,” the superhero isn’t expected to show up in Johnson’s film. The heroes are on a collision course, but the actor says that they want to launch “Black Adam” first before trying to crossover with Zachary Levi’s character.
“Without giving too much away, it’s not in the plans right now,” said Johnson. “I think the approach that we’re talking I feel really good about, and all of the filmmakers do too as well. It’s an origin story and that’s where we start it and we root it, and then we build out from there. Now, not to say Shazam isn’t on my radar. Of course, Shazam is, but so is all of DC.”
“Black Adam” is scheduled to begin production next summer and will fly into theaters on December 22, 2021.