Aldis Hodge, who plays Hawkman in the DC Universe, reacts to the news of James Gunn landing the job for DC Studios along with Peter Safran. While the DCU (formerly known as the DCEU) only had one new film released in 2022, Black Adam brought in several new heroes into the ever-growing franchise. One of them was Carter Hall, a.k.a. Hawkman, with Hodge playing the iconic winged warrior who was a driving force in the Justice Society of America. Hodge's Hawkman marks the first time the DC hero has been depicted on the big screen, following TV appearances on Smallville and Legends of Tomorrow.
In a recent interview with Collider, the Black Adam star was asked about the new direction of DC Studios, which launched on November 1 with Gunn and Safran as the new CEOs. When asked if Hodge has met with Gunn yet, the Hawkman actor confirmed that they have yet to have any conversations, however, Hodge had nothing but praise for the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker taking charge of the DCU, as DC Studios are currently mapping out their 10-year plan for the franchise. See what Hodge shared below:
HODGE: No, I haven’t spoken to James. As far as the reaction, I know James has done some really great work with [Guardians of the Galaxy] and Suicide Squad, so it gives me a great deal of confidence in what his vision can be for DC. I’m looking forward to seeing what he and Peter Safran come up with, and am definitely looking forward to continuing telling these stories about the JSA/Black Adam Universe.
It’s funny, I haven’t run into James in a bit, but I remember meeting James randomly one time, years ago, when I was over at my god sister’s house. We were all playing a game called Mafia, and James was actually teaching us how to play. He probably wouldn’t remember, but it’s funny to think about that, now that we’re at this level. Back then, I never would have imagined that would be the case. Now, working with that guy in this big of an arena is pretty awesome.
How Hawkman Can Fit Into The Bigger DC Universe
Ever since Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam movie got closer to being released in theaters, the actor and several producers had made it clear that this would only be the beginning for these characters, including the JSA. While DC Studios will have Gunn and Safran supervise movies, TV, and animation, they are not rebooting the DCU or starting a brand-new continuity. Instead, the producing duo will go about refocusing on elements that have worked for the franchise thus far while moving away from aspects that haven't gone their way, and providing a better structure to the franchise.
As far as Hawkman's future in the DCU goes, Johnson has clarified that the idea with their introductions in Black Adam was to do spinoff projects eventually, whether that would be spinoff films or TV shows that would exist on HBO Max. Given recent reports about Black Adam's final box office results facing problems, time will tell where Warner Bros. Discovery will go with these particular characters. Even if Black Adam 2 were not to happen, there is no reason why a Hawkman spinoff project couldn't happen, or Hodge not appearing in other DCU installments that will come under Safran and Gunn's leadership.
Time will tell where Hawkman, Black Adam, and the other JSA characters will go in the DCU's future as Gunn and Safran map out their decade-long plan for the franchise. Even though Black Adam may have had issues at the box office, Hawkman was one of the favorable aspects of the film and is one of the more recognizable heroes that the DCU has introduced in recent years. Whether they would get their own DCU TV show, in the same vein as John Cena's Peacemaker, or a film, there is a lot the franchise can do with these characters, as Black Adam has only scratched the surface of them. Hopefully, DC Studios will find places for Hawkman and the other Black Adam characters in the DCU sooner rather than later.
Source: Collider
