Long rumoured to be a part of the DC Cinematic Universe, and now he has confirmed via Twitter that he will play the nefarious Black Adam. DC Comics added that it will be part of a new Shazam! film coming soon, with a script currently in development from Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After, Jack the Giant Slayer).
There is no confirmation of date as yet, although there are some reports indicating that Warner’s previously announced date of 5 August 2016 could be a prime spot for the film.
Speaking with EW, New Line producer Toby Emmerich commented “It feels to me like Shazam! will have a tone unto itself,” he explains. “It’s a DC comic, but it’s not a Justice League character, and it’s not a Marvel comic. The tone and the feeling of the movie will be different from the other range of comic book movies.”
“Black Adam is a complex character,” Emmerich adds. “The villain in superhero movies is often, I think, what makes the movie. And I thought Dwayne’s take on the character, and the way that he saw Black Adam, was really compelling and fun.”
First appearing in the Fawcett Comics The Marvel Family #1 (December 1945) as a villain, he disappeared alongside Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and the rest of the Marvel Family in 1953 following a successful lawsuit from DC Comics claiming an infringement on their Superman copyright. In 1972, DC licensed the rights to the characters which they began publishing under the title Shazam!, and they later bought it outright in 1980. Black Adam has been both a hero and anti-hero over the years, as evidenced by The Rock’s tweet:
DC Cinematic Universe release dates:
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – 25 March 2016
- 5 August, 2016
- 23 June, 2017
- 17 November, 2017
- 23 March, 2018
- 27 July, 2018
- 5 April, 2019
- 14 June, 2019
- 3 April, 2020
- 19 June, 2020
