Black Adam just took over Times Square.
In a fantastic announcement, Dwayne Johnson revealed that his solo movie of DC’s antihero will now premiere on June 29, 2022, via showing it on the billboards in the heart of New York City.
This bold announcement fits Adam, a character ready to take over his home nation and then the world.
Who is Black Adam?
In the history of Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel in the DC Universe), young Billy Batson was chosen by the wizard Shazam to be imbued by the power of the gods with the utterance of the word “Shazam!” This turned Billy into an adult superhero.
But thousands of years earlier, Shazam had granted the power to Teth-Adam, a young slave in the fictional Middle Eastern nation of Kahndaq. At first, Adam fought to free his people from oppression and defend his land.
As time went on, Adam became corrupted by the power and transformed into the very dictator he’d once fought. He was finally defeated by Shazam and imprisoned in a temple.
Five thousand years later, Adam escaped his prison to once more clash with Billy and his Marvel family. While once a pure villain, Adam has now become an antihero, even occasionally working with the Justice Society but his brutal methods clashing with modern times.
Currently, in the comics, Adam rules Kahndaq, where his people see him as a hero while the rest of the world considers him a menace. He posses the same strength as Superman and the ability to fly.
Proud and convinced he is right in his actions, Adam avoids turning back to his human form, which would instantly revert him to a 5000-year old body and death.
The announcement
After teasing an earlier “big announcement” on his social media, Johnson finally revealed it via a huge video played onTimes Square’s billboards in New York.
Alongside the distinctive lightning bolt of Adam’s uniform, Johnson’s voice intoned, “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change.” It then showed the release date.
This is a huge move for the film, which has yet to begin production (delayed, like many, due to the coronavirus pandemic) and has only recently assembled its supporting cast.
Among them will be members of the Justice Society of America, including Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan). Also, Marwan Kenzari will play a mystery role.
Johnson’s earlier videos indicate the movie is a stand-alone but connected to the DCEU as Adam is once more freed from his prison and out to take back his homeland.
The announcement comes shortly after big news on the Shazam Fury of the Gods sequel with Helen Mirren playing a villainess in that film.
It’s unknown whether Adam or Shazam will meet, although it’s difficult to believe the DCEU will never have these ancient rivals squaring off on screen. As of now, this is a huge move confirming that Johnson’s dark antihero will be ready to bring the black next year.
Black Adam to debut in theaters June 29, 2022.