Dwayne Johnson says he's pleased with the first cut of Black Adam, but also knows there's still work to be done. Johnson has made his mark on numerous franchises since transitioning from wrestling to acting, but the DCEU has long remained a hard-to-reach dream. Since 2008, Johnson has tried to get a movie centered on all-powerful villain-turned-antihero Black Adam made, and even after being officially cast in the role in 2014, it took some time before he could actually play him. Black Adam endured some delays over the years, but production finally took place earlier this year; the movie itself is scheduled for release in July 2022.
Black Adam will explore the titular character's origins as a slave who rises to power and overthrows those who oppressed him. Based on a concept trailer Johnson released last year, the movie will also fast-forward thousands of years to show his reemergence in the present day, which puts him on a collision course with the Justice Society of America. The heroic team will be played by Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell, and Pierce Brosnan. Meanwhile, Black Adam also stars Sarah Shahi in a mysterious role that's heavily rumored to be Adrianna Tomaz.
Johnson has been making the rounds promoting his new Netflix movie Red Notice, and he couldn't resist sharing some Black Adam teases while talking to Collider. The actor has seen an early cut of the movie, and he revealed his reaction to what director Jaume Collet-Serra has cooked up so far. Johnson said:
I think we’re in a really good place. I think now’s the time where… we take our time, yet there has to be some expediency to it because we do have to have the movie ready by next summer. I think Jaume delivered a great first cut. And, you know, Black Adam is the kind of movie that, from [the] beginning, it had the makings and the bones to be something unique. It all started I think with the ambition, but then it all started with our director, Jaume Collet-Serra, and I think that he is an ambitious director. He, again, comes from that cadre of very talented Spanish filmmakers who want to get in and want to disrupt industry and disrupt craft, and he does it I think in such a great way. I also like that... At this point of the cut, there is a clear and defining anchor to Black Adam’s code, and I think that’s really important as we look to build out the character, as we look to build out the franchise, as we also look to build out the JSA and introduce them and launch them properly as well. I am happy, yet not satisfied, and we will continue to put the work in. And the teaser that we showed about three weeks ago, it was a good indicator of what’s to come.
There is still plenty of time for Collet-Serra to perfect Black Adam, but it sounds like things are off to a good start for the DCEU movie. Johnson clearly trusts his director's judgement, having already worked with him on Disney's Jungle Cruise. Superhero movies are incredibly common these days, so Johnson's belief that Black Adam will be something unique and that Collet-Serra will disrupt the style bodes well for the entire project. One just has to hope it can live up to expectations.
Johnson unveiled the first Black Adam trailer last month at DC FanDome, and even though it revealed very little of his anti-hero, it did go a long way in establishing his power. Presumably, a more complete trailer won't arrive for a few more months, especially since the movie itself is only in the early stages of editing. As Johnson said, he isn't yet satisfied with where Black Adam is at, so there's still so much work to be done. Nevertheless, this is a promising beginning for a movie that has the power to upend the DCEU order. It'll likely be well worth the wait.
Source: Collider
