The upcoming Black Adam will introduce the Justice Society of America to the DCEU, which can connect to seven iconic DC Comics characters and films. The ever-growing DCEU is a faithful depiction of the iconic DC Comics mythos, with comic-accurate depictions of famous heroes like Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman, while also gradually delving into the more obscure sides of DC’s eras of superhero storytelling. In addition to having Dwayne Johnson’s long-awaited portrayal of Black Adam, the film will also feature the cinematic debut of one of DC’s oldest superhero teams, with various potential connections to the DCEU’s solo and crossover films.
Black Adam debuted in 1945 as an enemy of Captain Marvel (now marketed as Shazam), quickly becoming one of the magic-based hero’s most prominent foes. Over time, however, Teth-Adam, who possesses similar abilities to Billy Batson, has become a morally gray character, best described as an anti-hero in modern storylines. As such, Black Adam has been a member of sinister groups like the Monster Society of Evil as well as the heroic Justice Society of America. Given that the JSA will play a major role in the upcoming Black Adam, the film will likely delve into his heroic side, if only temporarily, by having him be a brief member of the storied superhero team.
The Justice Society of America was the first superhero team in both DC Comics and the superhero genre overall, debuting in 1940 during the Golden Age of superhero comics. As with many solo superhero comics, the JSA’s early adventures frequently had them battle Axis forces during World War II, but in the years following the war, superhero comics declined in popularity. DC’s next major superhero team was the Justice League, which debuted in the Silver Age when superhero comics found a resurgence in popularity, but the JSA was soon brought back to DC’s mythos, either as an alternate universe’s superhero team or one from an earlier period in time. The DCEU’s version of the JSA appears to be the latter, which would allow it to tie into the stories of seven other superheroes.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is deservedly one of the DCEU’s most popular characters, thanks to stellar performances by Gal Gadot and memorable lead roles in both solo adventures and crossover films, such as Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Wonder Woman began her superhero career on the battlefields of World War I, as shown in 2017’s Wonder Woman, but another DCEU material confirms that she also fought the Axis powers during World War II. Since the Justice Society of America debuted as a World War II-era superhero team who frequently fought against Axis forces, it’s easy to imagine that the team similarly debuted during that era in the DCEU, with Diana Prince joining their ranks as Wonder Woman. If this is the case, the JSA, along with Wonder Woman herself, would operate in secret, only becoming a public organization following the establishment of the Justice League, of which Wonder Woman is also a founding member.
Green Lantern
The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, was teased during a flashback sequence in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, where his predecessor, Yalan Gur, dies defending Earth from Darkseid and his Apokoliptian forces. Gur is a far more heroic character in the DCEU than his comic counterpart, but following his death, his ring could easily become imbued with magic, becoming an unconventional Green Lantern ring and getting cut off from the Green Lantern Corps, allowing railroad worker Alan Scott to discover it and use its power as a member of the Justice Society. As with other JSA members, Scott may have retired or passed away by the events of Black Adam, explaining his absence.
The Flash
The first superhero to use the title of The Flash is Jay Garrick, who received his powers in a lab accident, not unlike his Silver Age counterpart, Barry Allen. As with Allen, Jay Garrick can tap into the Speed Force, allowing him to travel through time and to other realities in addition to granting him powers of superhuman speed. Garrick’s absence in Black Adam could be explained by his ability to traverse time and the multiverse, with the hero possibly “disappearing” at a certain point, only to reappear in the upcoming DCEU film, The Flash.
Black Canary
Another member of the Justice Society of America is Dinah Drake, the first superhero to use the Black Canary moniker. Her daughter, Dinah Lance, would famously use the title as a modern metahuman superhero who appears in the DCEU via Birds of Prey. If the JSA is a World War II-era team in the DCEU, perhaps Dinah Lance’s grandmother used the title as a Justice Society of America member, whether or not she has the same metahuman abilities as her descendent.
Green Arrow
One of the greatest and most socially conscious DC superheroes, Green Arrow, a.k.a. Oliver Queen, is often associated with Black Canary, with the two famously becoming partners of both the crime-fighting and romantic types in the comics. Oliver Queen may not be a member of the JSA, but he’s closely affiliated with the original Black Canary’s descendent and other Justice Society of America members. Green Arrow is already confirmed to exist in the DCEU via one of Christopher Smith’s (and John Economos’) conspiracies in Peacemaker, and if the DCEU continues to delve into the background and lore of Black Canary, it may only be a matter of time before Green Arrow joins her in the DCEU.
Wildcat
In addition to being a classic Justice Society of America member, Wildcat, a.k.a. Ted Grant, is perhaps the most talented boxer in the DC universe, as well as a mentor of some of its greatest martial artists. Wildcat tutored Dinah Lance in hand-to-hand combat as well as Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne. Thanks to his slowed aging, Ted Grant may still be alive during the events of Black Adam, having taken the role of a mentor to up-and-coming crime-fighters but no longer using the Wildcat name and costume.
Power Girl
Another famous Justice Society of America member is Power Girl, an alternate universe version of Supergirl. Since Supergirl will already be appearing in the upcoming The Flash film, another version of Kara, perhaps native to the mainstream DCEU—assuming that The Flash’s version is from another reality—could be part of the JSA. Although Superman publicly fought for humanity in Man of Steel, Black Adam could establish that Power Girl operated in secret like the rest of the JSA, having come to Earth via the same scout ship that Superman later uses as his Fortress of Solitude.
