Black Adam is said to mark a power shift in the DC Universe by its leading man Dwayne Johnson, while the movie has already hinted at how this will happen. After a long and arduous period of development that stretches back years, Black Adam is on its way to the big screen on July 29, 2022. The Rock has employed his well-known marketing magic at every turn for Black Adam. Specifically, Johnson has leaned heavily into the declaration of "The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change."
For Black Adam, the impetus of that will be Adam's torturous origins and the perspective this gave him on fighting evil. In the comics, Teth-Adam was a slave in the ancient nation of Kahndaq and was granted the power of the gods. Adam used his abilities to free Kahndaq, but his years in captivity made him a merciless crusader against injustice. While other heroes like Superman operate on a strict code in battling villains, Adam is one to move straight to the harshest punishment, including execution.
In addition to Johnson's Adam, Black Adam will also feature the Justice Society of America, while the villainous Intergang will also reportedly appear. While their roles in the film in relation to Adam aren't known yet, it's a good bet that the JSA will be opposed to the harsher methods Adam employs. This could also be a major clue to Johnson's DC power shift description of Black Adam.
Black Adam Is About Light And Dark Heroes
With Black Adam having such a complex history as a character, his movie is focusing on his modern portrayal as an anti-hero. As Johnson and producer Hiram Garcia have made clear, Adam will define justice in absolute terms in the film. Meanwhile, the JSA appearing also serves an important function beyond just introducing DC characters who have never before made it to the big screen. With the JSA on board for Black Adam, he'll have a real heroic contrast right off the bat.
Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) represent more stalwart heroism compared to Adam. From Adam's perspective, that's a weakness in and of itself. This also sets them up to be enemies in the film with Adam being a loose canon anti-hero the JSA is determined to reign in. However, the outcome of Adam's confrontation with the JSA shows what Johnson is getting at in the power dynamics of the film.
Adam's Defeat Is Unlikely, And Changes Everything
Black Adam is unique among superhero movies because of its title character. While Adam is now an anti-hero, he still has a long history as a villain. Few comic book movies have ever focused on the latter as their central protagonist. Add in The Rock's star power and it goes without saying that Black Adam is meant to be far more than a one-off. Johnson and Garcia's comments of future plans for Adam only make that clearer. All of that means that Black Adam is likely to end with its titular anti-hero either victorious, or at least not defeated outright.
The implications of this are huge with the role Adam plays in the film. Given the JSA's presence as heroes he's at odds with, Adam is at once protagonist and antagonist. The film also isn't likely to end with Adam turning over a new leaf to adopt the JSA's code of heroism either. Even with Adam and the JSA joining forces to stop the Intergang, it'll probably be a one-time alliance at best. In effect, Black Adam is a superhero movie where the antagonist (or a character who at least functions towards that end) being defeated seems unlikely. The probable ending of Black Adam will see the former Kahndaqi slave turned metahuman warrior still in operation with the other heroes failing to have stopped him - in other words, a huge power shift in the DC Universe.
What This Could Mean For The Rock's Superman Showdown
Superman has no known presence in Black Adam, though there have been rumors of Henry Cavill filming a cameo. Despite this, The Rock's hyping of a future battle of Black Adam and Superman has been half the marketing of Adam's big-screen debut. Black Adam and Superman are two of the most powerful DC characters in existence while being complete opposites on the hero spectrum. In a vacuum, a Black Adam vs. Superman showdown has the potential to be one of the most unforgettable superhero battles of all time. However, where Black Adam ends up leaving its title character could give that confrontation even greater stakes.
After the events of Black Adam, the Man of Steel could find himself confronting an opponent whom other heroes tried and failed to stop. That instantly makes Adam an enemy who challenges Kal-El on multiple levels. Adam is as powerful as Superman, has already fought off other heroes and villains, and shows no compromise in his methods. Meanwhile, Superman's own code of heroism means there are lines Adam will cross that he won't. With such a contrast between the two, Johnson's determination to make the Black Adam vs. Superman battle happen is hardly difficult to understand. At the same time, the way Black Adam seems set to position him could make that conflict even deeper. The whole point of Black Adam might be to set him up as a character so powerful, with such an extreme definition of justice, that no one but Superman could possibly challenge him.
Dwayne Johnson's ability to drum up anticipation for any project is sure to be in full tilt as Black Adam nears. That'll obviously include his continued boasts of Adam as a new power player in DC on film. However, the movie itself also tips its hat in that direction, too. Adam's role and that of the JSA and Intergang in the movie are making him a new force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, they also allude to how Johnson's other major Black Adam tease is being set up. With Adam, a seemingly insurmountable force of nature with a punishing view of justice, keeping him in check looks like a job for Superman.
