Recently, Dwayne Johnson has been announced to play the role of Black Adam (Teth-Adam) in Warner Brothers' upcoming film adaptation of Shazam. So far, the fan response to Johnson's casting has been overwhelminingly positive, which is similar to that of Christian Bale as Batman or Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Here are some of the reasons why I'm looking forward to the Shazam film:
The actor:
Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Fifteen years ago, he was the wrestler known as the Rock- aka Rocky Maivia. During his tenure in the WWF, Johnson showed a sense of showmanship and charisma in his wrestling career. Yet he has reinvented himself as an Hollywood actor, having proven himself a action star in blockbuster films (The Mummy, Scorpion King, Fast Five) and comedies (Get Smart, The Other Guys). Johnson has shown versatility and charisma in his roles, but Black Adam would allow him to show his darker side by playing an antagonist.
Fan favorite:
Another reason fans will be excited for the onscreen Black Adam is Johnson's love for the character. This is a role that he has been lobbying to play for several years, and he has a following of fans who are keen on his casting. During the 2000s, when the project was in development at New Line Cinema, he was mentioned as a possible choice for the roles of Black Adam and Shazam. Although the film never went into production, the idea of Johnson playing either Shazam or Adam continued to be discussed in interviews and fan castings. Indeed, in August 2014, he acknowledged his love for both characters but expressed uncertainty over having to choose one role. Regardless of playing the villain, it is likely that Johnson will give a solid performance as Black Adam.
Johnson's casting brings to mind when Robert Downey Junior was chosen to play Tony Stark. When Iron Man went through several years of pre-production and script revisions, several A-List stars such as Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio were rumoured as possible choices for the Armoured Avenger. However, there was one dark horse candidate who kept being discussed over the years. Downey Jr.'s name circulated as a possible choice on several fantasy casting sites and message boards. In 2006, he was announced as Stark and essentially made the part his own. If Johnson can do the same, Shazam could be one of the finest comic book adaptations to date.
More DC movies :
Although Johnson will be playing Black Adam, there is no reason why he could not appear in DC comic book movies outside of Shazam. Yes, the main focus of the film will be Shazam (this author is still getting used to the name change of "The Character formerly Known as Captain Marvel"), but Black Adam could serve as a potential antagonist for a Justice League film. Who wouldn't want to see Johnson present a threat to the DC Universe and move against the League.
However, Black Adam's possible inclusion is related to the question of Shazam, which concerns fitting the character into the Justice League. As a man with fantastic powers, he will inevitably draw comparisons with Superman; such coincidental similarities resulted in National Comics, the precursor to DC, winning a lawsuit against Fawcett Comics for copyright infringement in the early 1950s. Although DC has held the rights to Shazam for over 40 years (albeit the name "Captain Marvel" itself), the company has long struggled with how to promote the character. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Shazam will be a featured member of the Justice League; some writers and artists have argued that he doesn't work well with other heroes.
Johnson's casting as Black Adam could bode well for the Shazam film. He has shown himself to be a comic book fan and an dedicated actor. There is a good chance that. Now it remains to be seen if they can find the right choice to play Shazam himself.