Do you smell what the DCEU is cooking? Do you kids even remember that catchphrase? Probably not, but I guess it doesn’t matter, since Mr. Dwayne Johnson will certainly be spouting new, possibly mean-spirited, zingers as Black Adam whenever it comes out. Actually, he told us, in a big ol’ Instagram post today just when we’ll get to see the titular antihero in action: December 22nd, 2021.
Johnson has been teasing audiences with small drips of information for the past while now, hinting at how Adam will start off and what he may eventually become. Today we got the first glimpse though at some official artwork of Dwayne in character and he looks intimidating as heck. Now, with confirmation that we’re getting this as a tentpole December release it means it won’t be a scrappy late-summer or mid-winter pic. We’re getting a big-ass event movie, guys.
The Black Adam actor was extremely excited in his Instagram post, too, waxing poetic about his personal connections to this character:
“As a kid, Superman was the hero I always wanted to be. But, a few years into my fantasy, I realized that Superman was the hero I could never be. I was too rebellious. Too rambunctious. Too resistant to convention and authority. Despite my troubles, I was still a good kid with a good heart – I just liked to do things my way. Now, years later as a man, with the same DNA I had as a kid – my superhero dreams have come true. I’m honored to join the iconic #DCUniverse and it’s a true pleasure to become, BLACK ADAM.”
It’s funny he keeps calling Black Adam a superhero when, in the comics, the character of Adam Teth was a straight-up villain before being granted the Shazam power suite. If anything, he’s a major antihero, proceeding through his doings with a moral compass unbeknownst to all except the man himself. He’s not a bad dude, but he’s a bad dude, if you catch my drift. I guess Johnson hints at that with his apparent inner torments.
Maybe we’ll find out more about this particular take on Black Adam over the next two years and change, which is how long we’ll be waiting to see the Rock rock this role. But rest assured, it’ll definitely be worth it.