Warning! SPOILERS for Black Adam.Black Adam saw the DCEU debut of the Justice Society of America, an all-new superhero team that has been a staple of DC Comics since the 1940s. Unlike other superhero teams such as the Justice League, Black Adam's Justice Society is made up entirely of characters who haven't yet appeared in the DCEU, meaning that the film introduced a lot of new big-name superheroes to the franchise. Black Adam's Justice Society will undoubtedly be integral to the future of the DCEU, so here's everything there is to know about the team, including its members, its DCEU future, and its story so far.
In Black Adam, the Justice Society of America is a team made up of a rotating roster of superheroes that go on missions for The Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller, the leader of Task Force X. This time, the Justice Society is tasked with taking down the titular Teth-Adam, an ancient metahuman from Kahndaq that is gifted the powers of Shazam from a group of wizards. The team ends up collaborating with Black Adam in order to take a bigger threat, with tragedy striking the Society in the process, causing a conflict between the team's members and the team's mission to protect American hegemony. While most of the members make it out alive, Black Adam is far from the last time the Justice Society will be seen in the DCEU, as the team is expected to play a huge role in the future of the series.
Justice Society Members In The DCEU After Black Adam
Black Adam's Justice Society consists of four members: Hawkman, Atom Smasher, Cyclone, and Doctor Fate. Aldis Hodge plays Carter Hall (a.k.a. Hawkman) in Black Adam, the wealthy bird-themed leader of the Justice Society who weilds flying armor and weapons made from an extraterrestrial material. Noah Centineo plays Al Rothstein, a.k.a. Atom Smasher, one of the Society's younger members who has the ability to grow to incredible sizes. Quintessa Swindell plays Maxine Hunkel, a.k.a. Cyclone, the only female on the team and a hero that has the power to control wind in order to fly and fight enemies. Finally, Pierce Brosnan is Kent Nelson, a.k.a. Doctor Fate, an elderly sorcerer who gets magical abilities such as premonition and duplication from a helmet that is possessed by a god. While Hawkman, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone will live on to continue working on the Justice Society, Doctor Fate sadly dies fighting Sabbac at the end of Black Adam, with his helmet flying off to find its next champion.
Who Will Be The New Doctor Fate?
As was previously mentioned, Doctor Fate's helmet is inhabited by a cosmic god named Nobu, a being that seeks out champions and gives them magical powers in order to maintain order. While Kent Nelson is the most popular Doctor Fate, seven other characters have taken up the mantle in the comics, meaning any one of them could be introduced as the DCEU's permanent Doctor Fate. Kent Nelson's first successors are Eric and Linda Strauss, both of whom are chosen by Nobu to act as Doctor Fate simultaneously. After that, Kent Nelson's wife Inza Cramer Nelson took up the mantle, acting as the fourth Doctor Fate. The fifth Doctor Fate is Jared Stevens, an unpopular reinvention of the character that greatly departed from the previous Fates. Then, Hector Hall, son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, briefly took over, often considered to be the most powerful version of Doctor Fate. Then Kent V. Nelson became Doctor Fate, although he doesn't use the powers of Nobu, making him an unrelated sorcerer that simply carries the title. The current incarnation of Doctor Fate, having been used since 2015, is Khalid Nossur, a younger version of the character that is more tied to the Egyptian background of Doctor Fate. Out of all the versions, Nossur seems like the most likely successor due to his popularity and difference from Kent Nelson, but any one of these characters could be introduced as the DCEU's new Doctor Fate.
Other DC Characters Who Can Join DCEU's JSA
While there are only four core Justice Society members in Black Adam, the film actually introduces several other characters that have been on the team in the comics. Al Rothstein is actually the nephew of the original Atom Smasher, Al Pratt, a founding member of the DCEU's Justice Society who actually appears in the film, played by Henry Winkler. Sarah Shahi plays Adrianna Tomaz, a character that works alongside the JSA as the telekinetic superhero Isis in the comics, while Bodhi Sabongui plays her son Amon Tomaz, who in the comics becomes a speedster named Osiris. Another huge superhero connection comes from Cyclone, who is the granddaughter of the original Red Tornado in the comics. Hawkman's wife, Hawkgirl, isn't mentioned in the film, but being another incredibly popular hero, it would be surprising if she didn't show up eventually. On top of that, nearly every other DCEU superhero has been part of the Justice Society at some point, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Shazam, and tons of other characters.
Will The JSA Replace DCEU's Justice League? Can It?
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Some viewers are concerned that the Justice Society will replace the Justice League in the DCEU, as the complex situation around Justice League actors like Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, and Henry Cavill has made a sequel seem unlikely. However, it doesn't seem like a Justice Society movie will act as a replacement for the Justice League anytime soon. In the comics, the Justice Society acts as a reserve team of heroes that are willing to fight when needed, while the Justice League is a strike force made up of the strongest and smartest members of the Society. The Justice Society also isn't nearly as popular as the Justice League, with the latter's members and stories being much more recognizable and popular than the former. While the Justice Society may appear in more films in the future, it could function similarly to the way it did in Black Adam, introducing new groups of previously unseen heroes, while future Justice League sequels feature a consistent team of the DCEU's most popular characters.
The JSA's Future In The DCEU (As We Know It)
Black Adam sets up several storylines that hint at the future of the Justice Society of America. The film shows that the team has been working for Amanda Waller, meaning future movies could see them functioning as a Task Force X for bigger metahuman threats. With Doctor Fate dead, the future of the JSA will also see Hawkman training up younger heroes like Cyclone and Atom Smasher, alongside whatever other new heroes join the team. The ending of Black Adam clearly sets up a Doctor Fate successor, with the helmet disappearing to an unknown location after Doctor Fate's death. This is only the introduction of the Justice Society of America, meaning that the DCEU will dedicate lots of time to the future of the team, building up Black Adam's team to the point where it matches the massive roster of superheroes from DC Comics.
