Black Adam's Aldis Hodge has waited 15 long years to play a superhero. Hodge will join the cast of Black Adam, which will star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the titular role. Although not much is known about the film, Black Adam will reportedly feature the Justice Society of America, including heroes such as Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher, and Hawkman.
Hodge signed on to play Hawkman in late September. Since then, Hodge has been hard at work preparing for the role and has reportedly been reading the Justice Society of America comic books to learn more about his character. However, it's still unclear how closely Black Adam intends to follow the hero's origin story. Considering Hawkman's comic book backstory is one of the most complicated out there -- and that Hawkgirl will not appear in the film -- fans remain in the dark about what to expect.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hodge reveals that he's wanted to play a superhero for 15 years now. He explains that he's loved superheroes since childhood; he actually got into acting to save up for new Batman toys. As a result, Hodge says he's incredibly excited for the part, especially since he's been auditioning for superhero roles for well over a decade. You can check out Hodge's heartwarming statement on his superhero dreams below:
“There was some part of my brain that said, ‘He’s calling to tell me that I didn’t get the job.’ So I was preparing for that while I was in a state of disbelief. And when he said, ‘Welcome to Black Adam,’ it was literally like what I imagined winning the lottery to feel like. I had been very, very much looking forward to being a part of any kind of superhero universe. I didn’t care what it was for such a long time just because I had been such a fan. I grew up on graphic novels. I got into the business so I could earn money to buy Batman toys, you know? It was like 13 to 15 years of constantly going up to bat and getting told no. So it really was a validation of those last few years of pursuit, hustle and preparation.”
While this may be Hodge's first time portraying a superhero, he's played his fair share of heroic figures in the past. One example is his time on TNT series Leverage, where he played master hacker Alec Hardison. Hardison is part of a team of five Robin Hood-esque characters. Together, Hardison's team works to pull off elaborate cons, which help ordinary people who have been wronged by society's wealthiest, most corrupt members. That being said, Hardison is arguably more morally ambiguous than Hawkman will be, and it will be exciting to see the actor finally step into the role of a superhero.
While Black Adam was initially slated for a 2021 release, the movie has since been pushed back indefinitely. Still, Johnson has stated that Black Adam will begin filming in spring 2021; hopefully, this means more story details and plot points will be revealed soon. Regardless, it's evident that cast members are already excited, and Hodge's enthusiasm, for one, is absolutely infectious. To that end, one thing is painstakingly clear -- Hodge's role as Hawkman has indeed been a long time coming.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
