Aldis Hodge isn’t spilling any secrets about his version of Hawkman in the upcoming Black Adam movie, but he certainly seems to be doing his research to get ready for the role. The film features Hodge alongside Dwayne Johnson’s eponymous antihero and will set up new-to-screen members of the Justice Society of America, including Hawkman. Black Adam is currently planned to begin production in the spring, with no definite release date in place.
As the DCEU continues to expand into increasingly autonomous series, Black Adam could be one of the franchise’s biggest movies yet. Shazam! was a big hit for Warner Brothers, breaking away from the rigid style and structure of the early DCEU for a more independent and lighthearted story. While Shazam! made loose allusions to Justice League characters like Superman, it was never clear whether the films existed in the same timeline. As DC moves towards a multiverse model for future projects, Black Adam looks like it could be building out a potentially expansive solo franchise for the Justice Society of America.
Hawkman is one of the most iconic members of that longstanding superhero team, and Aldis Hodge seems to be taking the role very seriously. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Hodge discussed his preparation for Black Adam, hesitant to share any spoilers but willing to divulge the depths of his research.
“As far as research, I've done all kinds of research. I read all the graphic novels, from the JSA to the Hawkman series. I find myself really enjoying who and what he is, and how he is, and I know what we have in store for how we're going to show him. It's got me really excited.”
While Hodge certainly seems knowledgeable about Hawkman, the character will likely be a brand new face for many moviegoers. The Justice Society is DC’s original superhero squad, but it hasn’t been particularly prominent in pop culture for decades. The Justice League has long-held dominance in the DC team-up space, and most films from the company have focused on well-known characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Superman.
The live-action debut of lesser-known characters like Hawkman and Cyclone in Black Adam will be an exciting test for DC. Marvel found immense success breaking away from its mainline characters in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, and DC could earn similar acclaim with the Justice Society's formation. Black Adam is set to begin production later this year.