Dwayne Johnson Will Play Black Adam In SHAZAM!
Well, it’s official. The Rock will be shouting the magic word, but not as the World’s Mightiest Mortal. Dwayne Johnson announced over Twitter today that he will play Black Adam in the Shazam movie.
lang=”en”>”Kneel at his feet or get crushed by his boot.” My honor to become.. #BlackAdam #TheAntiHero #DCComics pic.twitter.com/Qk55eNf3R7
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 3, 2014
And in case you’re thinking that Johnson might have jumped the gun, Geoff Johns has also confirmed it.
lang=”en”>Yes, @TheRock as Black Adam is official. 🙂 http://t.co/pMJe60FUYl
— Geoff Johns (@geoffjohns) September 3, 2014
Johnson has been teasing his involvement with the current iteration of the film since last year, but until recently, even he didn’t know who he would be playing. However, considering his love for both the character and anti-heroes in general, Black Adam seemed like the clear choice for him, and for fans as well. Even when the Shazam film was in limbo, Johnson showed up in many fan casts online.
New Line Cinema president Toby Emmerich told Entertainment Weekly that not only will Shazam be a “different kind of superhero movie,” but that Johnson is an excellent fit for Black Adam, comparing the antihero to Johnson’s role as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five.
Black Adam is a complex character. 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.
That’s not all. Variety is also reporting that Darren Lemke, who penned Jack the Giant Slayer and the upcoming Goosebumps movie, will write the script. Hmm, this one is a mixed bags. On the one hand, his most recent projects (Jack and Turbo) have earned mixed reviews and haven’t done that well at the box office. On the other hand, with most of his writing credits consisting of fantastical and more youth-friendly films, Lemke might be a good fit for Shazam. Contrary to those rumors of Warner Bros. not wanting DC films to have any humor, Shazam needs to be a light-hearted film. It’s about a kid who can transform into a superhero, for crying out loud! No brooding or gritty elements necessary.
There’s still no word on when production will start, but Variety speculates that since Lemke was just brought on, once he turns in the script, Warner Bros. will get the ball rolling on the film ASAP.
Now that we know who’s playing the villain, we can begin our speculation on who will play the titular hero, a.k.a. The Big Red Cheese! If you already have ideas, let us know in the comments. SHAZAM!
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