STACK #219 January 2023

MOVIE FEATURE

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able to do. I felt like I hadn't seen that in the superhero space and that, to me, was very exciting.” Collet-Serra’s vision of Black Adam as the stranger rolling into town and becoming the principled rule-breaker is a staple of the western and lone cop genres. It’s an original take he hopes will satisfy both moviegoers and diehard comic book fans. Not only does Johnson consider Black Adam to be the role of a lifetime, but also one he believes will reverberate throughout the DC Universe. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to introduce something completely brand new, from scratch, into the superhero mix, and that’s what Black Adam is,” he says. “We all wanted to come in and try to create a movie that was disruptive and different… to usher in a new era in the DC Universe. “When I say, ‘The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change’, it sounds audacious, but I mean that with real reverence and respect for the DCU. True fans know the qualities that Black Adam has been blessed with – powers that change the balance of power.” Moreover, Black Adam also

Dwayne Johnson and director Jaume Collet-Serra shake up the superhero genre with Black Adam , introducing one of the most feared and powerful members of the DC Universe. Words Gill Pringle I t’s been almost 15 years since Dwayne

Johnson first expressed interest in portraying DC Comics’ antihero Black Adam. Warner Bros. ultimately chose to develop the Shazam! version of the same mythology first, with that film teasing a future Black Adam movie with a hologram of Johnson’s likeness as the character. Now, Johnson gets his superhero moment and recalls how sweet it felt as he donned his super-suit for the first time. “It was time to rock and roll for our camera test and it was unforgettable because, in that moment, I became Black Adam. It was very special,” he tells STACK . It’s been a long wait, but Johnson believes there has never been a better time for him to make his big screen debut as one of the most feared and powerful characters in the DC Universe. Or, as Black Adam director Jaume Collet Serra puts it, “Black Adam is the Dirty Harry of superheroes.” The movie explores howTeth-Adam developed a distorted version of justice during his traumatic 5,000-year imprisonment in ancient Egypt, using his newfound might to wipe out criminals from the face of the Earth. This sets him on a

Pierce Brosnan and Dwayne Johnson

meta-human that kills other people, even criminals. Collet-Serra was drawn to Black Adam’s dark side, which sets him apart from your average squeaky-clean superheroes. “I’m attracted to characters that walk

introduces a further seven new characters to the DCU – Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan); Carter Hall/Hawkman (Aldis Hodges), Al Rothstein/Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), Ishmael Gregor/Sabbac (Marwan Kenzari), Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) and her brother Karim (Mo Amer). “That’s not easy to do, and

that fine line between doing the right thing and doing what needs to be done,” says the director. “I immediately saw a character that was very similar to those who, when the system breaks down, are able to bring justice in ways that other people were not

• Black Adam is out on Jan 18

also to do it with intrigue and interest and with respect to mythology

for the DC fans,” he says. “All these characters are coming to life for the very first time ever in cinematic history. I think that's just so cool and makes me so proud and honoured to be amongst this group."

collision course with the Justice Society of America, who are unwilling to accept the existence of a

Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher

12 JANUARY 2023

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