Black Adam actor Aldis Hodge revealed what it's like working with Dwayne Johnson. When Dwayne Johnson was first cast as the titular anti-hero, the plan was for him to appear as a villain in the movie Shazam! as well as an earlier version of Suicide Squad, but DC eventually decided to give the character a solo vehicle instead. Development on Black Adam remained slow, with filming being delayed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. However, the film eventually managed to get off the ground earlier this year, and now its Black Adam's production is steadily approaching the finish mark.
Despite languishing in development hell for several years, Black Adam managed to fill out its ensemble with plenty of promising talent. Mo Amer, Uli Latukefu, and James Cusati-Moyer have all been cast in undisclosed roles, while Aladdin's Marwan Kenzari and The Rookie's Sarah Shahi are also on board as a mysterious villain and Adam's potential love interest, Adriana, respectively. Additionally, there are several stars that make up the Justice Society of America - an organization of superheroes that seek to fight for justice and truth. This includes Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate. One Night in Miami's Aldis Hodge also plays the key JSA member Hawkman, and he has recently opened about working with Johnson for Black Adam.
Recently, during a conversation with The New York Post about his role in the Leverage revival, Hodge discussed what was it like to work with Johnson on the sets of Black Adam. The City on a Hill actor was all praise for his co-star, suggesting that Johnson is very supportive. He admitted that filming the movie's action sequences were a bit difficult, yet everyone trained hard to shoot those scenes and built muscle as they had never before. Hodge also talked a bit about the movie, claiming that it would live up to all the hype surrounding it.
"[Dwayne Johnson] is a real cool cat, he’s really giving and supportive. We’re having some tough days when it comes to the physical aspect of [the shoot] and how we want to show what these characters are capable of. But it’s nice to be around DJ and his camp. Everybody is swole and fit; it’s great motivation to stay in shape and to find new limits that your body can achieve. I look at this [movie] as a huge opportunity in many different ways. And it’s living up to the hype — in every way possible."
There is a definite camaraderie that's developed between Johnson and Hodge as they continue to film in Atlanta. Before joining the movie, Hodge had revealed that his career was in part inspired by the former WWE superstar's and that he was motivated by the Rock's frequent workout posts in his pursuit to gain muscle of his own. Once Black Adam commenced shooting, the chemistry between the stars became more obvious. At one point, Johnson even delivered a playful retort to an Instagram post where Hodge posed with the Shazam! actor Zachary Levi.
This continuing friendship and mutual respect between Hodge and Johnson bodes well for Black Adam, allowing the movie to make headway without any off-screen spats and rifts. It's also no surprise that Hodge is having such a pleasurable time teaming up with Johnson, as the Hollywood megastar has repeatedly proven to be a source of inspiration for many who have worked with him. Hopefully, this hard work and friendship between the starts will translate well on-screen too, cementing Black Adam as one of the most successful blockbuster DCEU has seen so far.
Source: New York Post
