Tag: Black Adam

EXCLUSIVE: ‘BLACK ADAM’ Looks to Explore the Origins of Doctor Fate

Production on the long-awaited Dwayne Johnson superhero vehicle Black Adam is set to get underway in Atlanta this April and as the start date draws nearer, director Jaume Collet-Serra is looking to round out the cast. Our first look at the film at DC Fandome teased Teth-Adam’s slave origins in ancient Khandaq and a new casting search indicates the film might be spending quite a bit of time exploring Adam’s origins.

Black Adam is currently on the hunt for what appears to be a young version of Johnson’s Teth-Adam along with characters who would appear to be his father and another warrior from the time period. Additionally, the production is looking an actor to portray a magician described as a “powerful being prepared to do what they must to protect the world.” Given the time period the film is set to explore and the foundations it is expected to lay, it’s HIGHLY probable that Black Adam will introduce Nabu to the DC Universe.

Nabu is an incredibly ancient and powerful cosmic entity whose spirit is contained in the Helmet of Fate, the magical artifact worn by those taking up the mantle of Doctor Fate. Nabu prophesied the arrival of a Thangarian ship to Earth and was with Black Adam and Khufu, the Egyptian prince whose soul was eventually reincarnated as Carter Hall, aka Hawkman, when they discovered the ship and the Nth metal. The pieces all fall into place nicely for Black Adam to serve as an origin story for Adam, Hawkman and Doctor Fate.

Black Adam, originally set for a December 2021 release, is still without a new release date.

February 26, 2021
‘Black Adam’ May Tease the Lost Golden Age of Heroes

The Justice Society of America is known as one of the first superhero teams in comic history. They recently got brought back in DC’s Doomsday Clock event. At one point, Doctor Manhattan erased them from the timeline. Yeah, I am not sure why either. The team has become somewhat of a hot topic, showing up in the recent Death Metal storyline and taking centerstage in CW’s Stargirl. We also got the confirmation that the JSA will be making their way to the DCEU in the highly anticipated Black Adam film.

The roster will consist of Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. With this news, many may begin to wonder why the team roster seems so small. Also, why is it missing so many key members that made the golden age so special? So far, we can figure out from the news of the upcoming film and knowledge of past iterations of the team that this probably isn’t the first incarnation of the JSA within the DCEU.

The first piece of evidence stems from a line said by Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. In a conversation with Bruce, Diana tells Bruce that “They said the age of heroes would never come again”. It could be possibly referring to the gods of Olympus, but I feel as though the line could mean a whole lot more. Wonder Woman has been part of the JSA on multiple occasions. She even leads the team in the upcoming animated feature Justice Society: World War II. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana may have stayed out of the public eye, but she was still active in her efforts to help people.

In Adventure Comics #466, following the end of the war and a decline in supervillains, villain Per Degaton had taken full advantage of the Red Scare and coerced the US government into believing these masked heroes could serve as a threat to the country. Consequently, the government forced these heroes to reveal their identities if they wish to continue. The team concluded that to keep themselves and everyone they loved around them safe, the best course of action would be to retire and disband the Justice Society. This storyline could serve as a reason why Superman was one of the first heroes to pop up and why the US government had been so critical of Clark’s actions.

Another intriguing detail about the golden age team is the chosen roster for their upcoming appearance in Black Adam. It isn’t just the roster but also how they are going to get introduced in the film. These details come from casting info for a character known as Ma Hunkel, a member of the original JSA who will appear in the upcoming film. The breakdown states that Hunkel will be the caretaker in Hawkman’s museum. In Geoff John‘s run, she served a similar role. She was the caretaker of the JSA headquarters when they were brought back into the modern-day DC universe. Ma Hunkel’s inclusion isn’t the only brow raiser, as the roster itself includes characters known as Cyclone and Atom Smasher. They will be played by Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo respectively.

These iterations of the characters are early recruits like they were in John‘s team. The original lineup included iconic characters that have evolved and inspired new iterations, such as DC staples like Green Lantern and The Flash, two notable absences from this roster. These absences may serve to tell even more stories in the DCEU, such as period piece set during WW2 featuring iconic members such as Hourman, Dr. Midnite, Starman, Sandman, Johnny Thunder, Mr. Terrific, Wildcat, and more.

February 23, 2021
‘The Old Guard’s Marwan Kenzari Confirmed for ‘Black Adam’

While Black Adam may have gotten removed from the studio’s release slate, nothing seems to be slowing down its production. Recently, news on the film has been scarce, as many fans were waiting on the edges of their seats to hear who else will join the film. It seems the most recent update is confirming a report we’ve known a few months back on the film’s villain. Hollywood Reporter has confirmed Illuminerdi’s story from October that Marwan Kenzari is joining the production.

While the official report states that Kenzari‘s role is still under wraps, we knew from just a few months ago that the studio was eyeing the actor to play Sabbac. He will be the main antagonist in the film’s ongoing story. The villain had three different comic iterations over the years, but the film will focus on Ishmael Gregor. He is the most well-known identity of Sabbac for those that read his short run. He was a Russian immigrant who made his way to New York, where he becomes a mob boss. Ishmael initiates a demonic ritual in which he sacrifices innocent people to gain the powers of the demon. His name is an acronym for Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Crateis, the beings that give him his powers. This naming is quite similar to how Shazam’s name in the comic derives from six immortal elders. Those were Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.

Black Adam currently has no set release date. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing the film, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will star as the titular character. Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, Noah Centineo, and Quintessa Swindell will round out the cast. We are still waiting on the casting for Doctor Fate.

Source: Illuminerdi, Hollywood Reporter

February 17, 2021
‘Black Adam’
Premiere: October 21, 2022

Finally, Black Adam has come to the DC universe! After what seemed like a decade’s worth of teasing, Dwayne Johnson will be bringing Black Adam to the big screen in 2021. Production is slated to start in July of 2020 and, as I first reported at That Hashtag Show, we will be getting quite a few bonus characters as the Justice Society of America is also going to debut in the film with Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone among the members we’ll meet. Johnson confirmed that while originally in the script, Hawkgirl was cut from the film.

On September 25, 2020, the news that Aldis Hodge will take flight as Hawkman hit. This was later confirmed by Dwayne Johnson himself on his Instagram feed.

On October 5, 2020, Warner Bros. announced yet another reshuffling of their upcoming DC release schedule due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This, for now, left Black Adam without an official release date.

In late March 2021, the production confirmed to have found their Doctor Fate, with former-007 Pierce Brosnan being cast as Kent Nelson. Around the same time, Dwayne Johnson unveiled the project’s new release date that would be eyeing a late July 2022 premiere. In April James Cusati-Moyer, Bodhi Sabonui, Mo Amer, and Uli Latukefu were added to the cast in roles not yet disclosed.

In a somewhat unexpected move, in March 2022, only four months before its scheduled July 29 premiere, Warner Bros. decided to postpone the movie’s release moving it to October 21, 2022.

Cast
- Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam
- Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate
- Aldis Hodge as Hawkman
- Sarah Shahi as Isis
- Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher
- James Cusati-Moyer in an unknown role
- Bodhi Sabonui in an unknown role
- Mo Amer in an unknown role
- Marwan Kenzari as Ishmael Gregor / Sabbac
- Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone
- Viola Davis as Amanda Waller
Promotional Material
- Aug 22, 2020 Official Teaser
- Jun 8, 2022 Official Trailer 1
- Jul 23, 2022 Comic-Con Sneak Peak
December 19, 2020
‘BLACK ADAM’: Who is Cyclone?

Black Adam is quite possibly one of the most anticipated DC movies in development and is already living up to the hype with the addition of some of DC’s most iconic characters. With such a rich library to pick from, the film will introduce those from the Justice Society and the Black Marvel Family. The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change and Black Adam won’t let anything stand in between him and protecting the kingdom that he’s called home for thousands of years.

Created by Alex Ross, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns, and Dale Eaglesham, Cyclone would make her first appearance back in 1996’s Kingdom Come storyline as an unnamed Red Tornado who could be seen near Ma Hunkel in certain panels. The character would eventually receive a name a new design, being dubbed Maxine Hunkel, granddaughter of longtime JSA member Ma Hunkel, Aka the original Red Tornado. Maxine is a very energetic and bubbly person who excelled at school with a 4.0 GPA, yet she was a very talkative and was a bit of a know it all, resulting in being left out and abandoned by her peers, leading her to suffer from depression. Maxine was invited to join the JSA by Mr.Terrific and Powergirl and lives up to her nature by almost immediately accepting while talking their ears off, Maxine eventually becomes friends with another young girl on the team, that off Stargirl.

Maxine did not always have her powers and began showing signs of meta abilities when she sneezed and blew part of her grandmother’s home away. Maxine has the ability to fly with her wind manipulation as well as sound wave control. Maxine takes on the name cyclone as an homage to her Grandmother and her sidekicks, the cyclone kids, aka her aunt Amelia and Uncle Mortimer.

Cyclone has yet to make a live-action appearance but is set to join the ranks of the newly formed JSA in Black Adam and will be played by Quintessa Swindell

December 14, 2020
Quintessa Swindel Cast as Cyclone in ‘BLACK ADAM’

With delays setting production back and the film’s release date being removed from the calendar, many wondered what was going on with the Black Adam. Recently the Rock took to Instagram to once again tease his intense training for the role and also happened to confirm that the project would begin production in the Spring of 2021. The film was supposed to begin filming mid-to late-2020, but due to the ongoing pandemic filming was delayed significantly as the Rock had prior commitments to projects like Red Notice and Young Rock. Black Adam is now rounding out its cast and looks to be filling the ranks of its JSA with recent casting confirmation on that of Cyclone.

Today it was confirmed that Quintessa Swindel had been cast as JSA recruit, Maxine Hunkel, aka Cyclone. The character is the granddaughter of former JSA hero, Red Tornado, who’s also set to appear in the upcoming film, this time reimagined as a transgender character and the caretaker of Hawkman’s museum. Swindell previously appeared on the Netflix original series Trinkets, which only ran for one season. Previously it was reported that actresses Isabelle Moner and Leslie Grace were atop the studio’s wishlist for the character, but they obviously decided to go down an alternate path altogether.

Black Adam currently has no set release date but is set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and will star Dwayne Johnson in the title role, alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centenio as Atom Smasher, and Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz. The film will tell the story of Kahndaq legend that is Teth-Adam and how he came to wield the power of the wizard and how he will do anything to protect his home, even going up against the might of the Justice Society of America.

For more on the character, make sure to check out her character profile right HERE!!

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

December 14, 2020
Tracking DC’s Ever-changing Slate

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there is hardly any business that hasn’t needed ongoing adjustments throughout 2020. Movie studios have been struggling ever since movie theaters had to be shut down, leaving them without the expected money influx, and even with some theaters reopening it has been tough to get audiences to return.

Warner Bros. isn’t unaffected by it all and has, until now, resorted to postponing DCEU release dates, from The Batman to The Flash and Shazam! Fury of The Gods, hoping for a brighter future down the road.

Yesterday came the news that, after several delays, Wonder Woman 1984 is now scheduled to be released both in theaters and through HBO Max on December 25. It was originally announced for release on December 13, 2019, but after an initial (non-coronavirus-related) delay, it was only on March 24 that the rollercoaster really began.

Check out the moves Warner Bros. made in 2020 concerning the DCEU’s release schedule below. The only thing we know for sure is that going into 2021, there are probably still some changes ahead.

(click to open the full picture in new window/tab)

November 19, 2020
RUMOR: First Details on ‘Black Adam’s Doctor Fate Revealed

Black Adam has been quite busy with pre-production, as it is starting to unite the various members of the Justice Society of America. There is one addition that was teased during the DC FanDome panel, the mysterious Doctor Fate. There have been many to hold the title and iconic golden helmet. As the film will focus on the JSA, we all assumed it would be the incarnation of Kent Nelson. He was the one to open the tomb of Nabu the Wise, who would mentor him as a sorcerer. He also is the one to bestow him the iconic helmet, amulet, and cloak, which would become iconic aspects of the character. There was no official word on who we can expect, but Illuminerdi might have some info to shed some light on the character’s future.

It seems that the team behind Black Adam is looking for someone in their 30s to play the character. His description states that he is a “kind academic” who “becomes a terrifying force of nature, who sounds and acts differently.” This description fits the dual nature of Doctor Fate, as the mystical helmet was also known to have a mind of its own. He will retain his abilities of telepathy and telekinesis. He will also be able to slow time and alter reality. They are using Sam Rockwell as a reference, but, as Illuminerdi also points out, he is outside of the age range they were aiming for.

Doctor Fate will have his debut on the silver screen, but he was adapted into live-action in the past. Our first real live-action incarnation was on Smallville. We briefly saw his helmet in Constantine. Doctor Fate was also a member of the JSA in Stargirl. Yet, we haven’t gotten a chance to see his abilities in action, as he is quite a beast within the DC Universe. Hopefully, we will get some casting news in the coming months, as the film starts gearing up for production.

Source: Illuminerdi

October 23, 2020
Short List for ‘BLACK ADAM’ JSA Member Cyclone Revealed

Even though it currently has no set release date, casting for the highly anticipated Black Adam film is becoming quite the weekly event and it seems DC and WB are beginning to close in on multiple actresses for the role of Maxine Hunkel, Aka Cyclone, in the upcoming superhero flick that’ll see the rise of the fallen champion, Teth-Adam.

The studio is reportedly eyeing Dora and Transformers star Isabella Merced and singer-songwriter Leslie Grace, who will make her feature film debut in next year’s musical In The Heights. Cyclone is set to be one of the film’s female leads, having been bumped up a few pegs after Hawkgirl was removed from the film in order to let this character step into the spotlight a bit more. Cyclone was one of the members of the JSA confirmed at the DC Fandome Event and both rumored choices fits into the rumored “Alexandra Shipp Type” they were searching for.

Black Adam will star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, and Noah Centineo with Jaume Collet-Serra set to direct and currently has no set release date but with production set to begin next spring it’s likely the film could see a late 2022 release.

Source: Illuminderi

October 21, 2020
RUMOR: Ma Hunkel to appear in ‘Black Adam’

With Black Adam set to introduce the Justice Society of America, many have wondered what the ranks of the team will look like. It is also unsure if this is their first iteration within the DCEU. In the comics, the Justice Society first showed up around WW2 after thwarting an assassination attempt against President Roosevelt. We know about a few members, but a new one might be joining the roster. One of the team’s honorary members, Ma Hunkel a.k.a. the Golden Age Red Tornado may be next in line to make her first live-action appearance in the film.

Recent reports have pointed to the character making their appearance in the film. Ma Hunkel will act as the caretaker of Hawkman’s museum. This introduction is similar to how she transpired brought back in Geoff Johns JSA run, where she was the caretaker of the JSA headquarters. In her first appearance, she disguised herself as a man to go out and fight crime under the monicker of the Red Tornado. She would lead the way for our favorite red android years later. The character also happens to be the grandmother of the recruit Cyclone, who is also set to make her live-action debut in the film. Along with the report, it’s rumored that the character will be reimagined as a transgender character, a welcome addition for more inclusivity.

Black Adam currently has no set release date and will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. The film will star Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, and Sarah Shahi. The character of Ma Hunkel has yet to be cast, and it’s unclear if the character will don the Red Tornado name.

SOURCE: Illuminerdi

October 15, 2020