Although he is typically cast as the hero in major Hollywood blockbusters, Black Adam will finally feature Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson playing a more villainous role - something that was perfectly set up by his time in the WWE. Although the titular DC character is the protagonist of the film, his comic origins and demeanor in the film make Black Adam a more morally ambiguous role, which will likely place the figure in an anti-hero position. Black Adam will definitely be a major change to The Rock's typecast, but with his experience playing a villain in the WWE, he'll feel right at home.
The Rock's film career has been mostly built on family blockbusters where he plays a cocky but lovable hero. However, Black Adam is a very different role from his typical forte in films like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jungle Cruise, with Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra even stating "Adam is undoubtedly the main source of conflict in the movie. And I think that that was a very interesting take, because normally, a character that Dwayne would play in a movie would be the solution to the problem." In the comics, Black Adam is largely and explicitly a villain - and it makes sense that his DCEU adaptation will still have many of the same tendencies as his comic counterpart. With this in mind, it seems in order to pull off his role in Black Adam, The Rock is going to have to pull from one of his most vital experiences playing a villain: his time in the WWE.
Dwayne Johnson joined the WWE in 1996, during the height of the Attitude Era (a period characterized by its mature programming and the attitude of its professional wrestlers). Before changing his name to The Rock, Dwayne Johnson started out as Rocky Maivia, a squeaky clean good guy. However, many viewers despised him due to his wholesome nature, causing some WWE attendees to heckle him from the audience. Because of this, Dwayne Johnson re-envisioned his persona, giving himself a new look, a new attitude, and a new name - The Rock. Under this moniker, The Rock embraced the audience's hatred, becoming a heel (a WWE term for a villain character) - a persona so charismatic and full of life that it would convince the audience to either love him, or love to hate him, playing a major factor into his career success. Much like The Rock's WWE persona, Black Adam is a character that often toes the line between hero and villain, allowing the Rock's experience as a professional wrestler to enhance his DCEU role.
How The Rock's Heel WWE Career Benefits The Black Adam Movie
Although there are many ways The Rock could've gotten prepared for Black Adam, nothing could have prepared him more than his time as a heel in the WWE. When wrestling as Rocky Maivia, Johnson was seemingly trying to be as friendly as possible, yet was hated by much of the WWE audience for it. This has parallels with Black Adam, who presumably has ultimately just motives as his comic character generally does, but finds himself in conflict due to them. The Rock's character in Black Adam has an attitude that's incredibly similar to his WWE character, requiring an ability to apply enough charisma to a self-assured and sometimes even cocky persona that audiences will find it engaging, not off-putting. Black Adam will require physicality, personality, and an ability to appeal as both hero and villain - all traits that The Rock cultivated tirelessly during his time in WWE.
While it's been some time since The Rock played a villain like Black Adam in the ring, the DCEU movie is sure to tap into the actor's WWE past. His role in Black Adam is definitely a movie career shake-up, but he is sure to nail it. With The Rock's acting career having taken him increasingly away from wrestling itself, having a role that allows him to fully showcase his wrestling skillset alongside his acting ability is one that should make Black Adam feel truly special.
