Warner Bros and DC have about eight thousand superhero movies in the works (not really; it's more like ten), but out of that endless list, Shazam! is easily one of the most anticipated. And for a single reason: Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam, the Egyptian slave-turned-villain, who might eventually become something of a hero (or anti-hero, anyway) in the live-action DC Universe.
Johnson delved into Black Adam's motivations in a new interview- and while the character might eventually grow a heart, it sounds like he'll be an unstoppable villain when he first shows up in Shazam!.
"He's a unique type of villain. When you start off as a slave, you're not in a good mood! There's a heavy wrath that a lot of people have to pay. But when it's fuelled by a righteous anger if you will, like Black Adam, then you open up to what the character can be which I'm really excited about. That's why he's not just a straightforward bad guy."
There's still a major piece missing from Shazam!, of course- the actor who'll be playing the titular hero (and while Shazam! requires two actors- one for the adult superhero and one for the young Billy Batson, his alter ego, it's safe to assume Billy Batson will probably be a child star not many have heard of).
Little drips of info have leaked out about Shazam's casting- that the studio was getting close to announcing it, or the rumor that Johnson might play a dual role of Black Adam and Shazam at the same time. Shazam! won't hit theaters until 2019, of course, so all this could still be announced several years from now (you'd think Wonder Woman, with a director AND a star, would announce its cast first). Until then, we'll have to subside on Dwayne Johnson quotes alone. Shazam! will lightning-bolt its way into theaters sometime in 2019.
Join the Conversation