Get ready for more Rock with your DC Films as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Shazam film moves forward in an apparently revamped and renewed DC Extended Universe.
After a critically disappointing 2016, DC is looking towards the future with a new creative head in Geoff Johns and a new slate of films and projects like Wonder Woman, Justice League, and finally, Shazam. Dwayne Johnson, who is attached to play the film’s villain, Black Adam, has finally revealed that DC is moving along with the Shazam project, and that he’s learned some inside info regarding the future of the DC Universe as a whole.
In an Instagram post, Johnson posted a photo of himself by the DC logo, revealing that he was part of a strategic meeting that outlined the DC Extended Universe going forward. Despite little details on the film itself, Johnson revealed that there will be some big changes coming DC Extended Universe.
Johnson wrote that there was “a real sense of the tonal shifts and developments coming in these future movies” and that they had him “fired up.”
Perhaps referencing the nihilism and darkness that permeated films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad, Johnson wrote that the coming DC films will have “Something we, as DC fans have all been waiting for for a very long time. Hope, optimism & FUN.”
While most of the post was dedicated to the future of the DC Extended Universe as a whole, Johnson reiterates his commitment to his role as Black Adam, and that he will try and bring the fun even when portraying “the most ruthless villain/anti-hero of all time”.
Earlier this month Johnson perhaps misspoke when he referred to Black Adam as, “the most interesting superhero” on his personal YouTube channel, which was a strange choice of words considering Black Adam is one of the most ruthless DC villains in the comics.
In the DC comics, Black Adam was the son of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who was granted superpowers by the wizard Shazam. After defending Egypt for many years, Adam was corrupted by seducing the demon Blaze, and he murdered his own father so that he could become Egypt’s ruler instead. Feeling betrayed, Shazam stripped Adam of his powers and imprisoned Adam in a tomb for all eternity. When Adam escapes, he does so looking for vengeance, murdering thousands of innocent lives and eventually starting World War III.
Despite his villainous history, Black Adam has become a bit of an anti-hero in recent years, working together with Shazam on occasion. Despite his evil streak, Black Adam is a boisterous character who seems perfect for The Rock’s physical presence, though some fans, like Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, disagree.
Whether Liefeld thinks Johnson shouldn’t be Black Adam, or that he’s better suited for another superhero role is a little ambiguous. However, Johnson should still be more than perfect for the role of Black Adam, both thanks to the character’s continuous reinvention, and the DC Extended Universe’s plan for more hope, optimism, and fun in their movies.
