The editor of Black Adam explains why Viola Davis' Amanda Waller needed to appear in the DCU movie. After years of being stuck in development hell, Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam movie has finally opened in theaters, bringing the iconic antihero into the DCU (formerly known as the DCEU). Initially set to make his debut in the Shazam! film with Zachary Levi, Johnson convinced Warner Bros. to give his character a solo movie before clashing with the DC superhero. The film focused on Teth-Adam's tragic backstory, going from being a Kahndaq slave to becoming its champion after being granted godlike powers.
While Black Adam set the foundation for Johnson's antihero, it wasted no time in establishing its larger ties to the DCU. One of the ways to remind audiences that Black Adam was part of a larger franchise was the return of Amanda Waller, played once again by Davis. Even though she didn't appear in many scenes, Davis' character making her latest comeback since the events of Peacemaker indicates that her time in the DCU is far from over.
Screen Rant recently chatted with Mike Sale, ACE, who worked on Black Adam as an editor, as he spoke about the making of the film in more detail. When it came to Waller's return, it "was fantastic" to have her in Black Adam, according to Sale. For Sale, it was important to feature Waller uniquely, compared to her previous appearances, sharing the following:
Mike Sale, ACE: Look, she's amazing. Viola Davis is incredible. People love her. We love her. So, having her in the movie was fantastic. The first time we went to a screening, and she came on screen, the place went crazy.
It was important. because Black Adam is a new thing, it's not like the big IP-type character that everybody knows about. We did want it to be unique and a new thing, but it was also important to make sure it felt connected to Shazam. It felt connected to DC. She brings so much credibility. She brings a lot of credibility to the JSA because when it's her telling them to go, even though you don't know everything about them, you're like, "Okay, these people must be legit."
How Waller Connects Black Adam To The Wider DC Universe
Despite not having many moments in Black Adam, Waller's presence still helped connect the movie to the wider DCU. For starters, showing Waller after Peacemaker established what she has been up to since the season 1 finale. With the Task Force X program now being public knowledge, she has clearly begun to work with other teams, in particular the Justice Society of America, as one of her ways of protecting the world. As far as the Suicide Squad goes, it's unclear if the team has been disbanded or if they are operating from the shadows after Waller's actions were exposed to the world.
Since it's known that Waller will have her own spinoff series, Black Adam may have also set up the idea of what her show could focus on as she continues being a power player in the DCU. Assuming Amanda Waller's HBO Max series is still moving forward, her spinoff can explore how she is working with various forces in the DCU, which includes the JSA at this point. With her latest Black Adam appearance, it will be intriguing to see where Waller appears next and what she will do in the DCU in the coming years.
