Dwayne Johnson's anti-hero stands tall in a new Black Adam movie poster that arrives just hours before the first trailer. The former WWE star turned box-office draw has been waiting to play Black Adam in a movie for over a decade, but 2022 will officially mark the end of the wait. Years after Warner Bros. and DC Films decided to remove Black Adam from Shazam! in favor of a solo film instead, Dwayne Johnson's DC debut as the popular anti-hero is highly anticipated. Audiences have had to wait even longer than expected, though, due to countless delays caused by COVID-19.
Previously set for a July 2022 release, Black Adam's most recent release date change moved the film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra to October. This came after DC started the marketing campaign for the movie by releasing some footage of the Justice Society of America characters — Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) — set to appear. While the JSA will play a prominent role in Black Adam, the movie will also focus primarily on telling the origin of Dwayne Johnson's DC character and his reintroduction to the world.
Ahead of the much anticipated first Black Adam trailer, an official teaser poster for the movie has been released. Warner Bros. released the first poster after showing the press a sneak peek of the trailer. The Black Adam poster includes the debut of the movie's tagline, which reads, "The world needed a hero. It got Black Adam." It offers just a glimpse of Dwayne Johnson in the anti-hero costume ahead of the first trailer, which debuts on June 8, 2022, at 9 am PST.
The new Black Adam poster once again highlights that Dwayne Johnson's DC character isn't exactly a hero. Black Adam's violence has routinely blurred the line between making him a hero or a villain in the comics, and it's clear the anti-hero route is being taken for the film. This could create some conflict between Black Adam and the JSA, as his more ruthless ways might not match how they operate as more traditional superheroes.
It is also worth considering the meaning of the movie's tagline potentially beyond the indication that Black Adam isn't a true hero. The world the Black Adam poster references could be about Johnson's character's origin and fighting to free Khandaq from an oppressive ruler. It might also be a reference to the fact that Black Adam reawakens in a time where the DCEU's lineup of heroes is a bit unclear, so they could use a heavy-hitter like Dwayne Johnson's character. Black Adam will ultimately reveal more and show whether or not The Rock's anti-hero will be a force for good, evil, or a bit of both moving forward.
Source: Warner Bros.
