It’s been an awfully long time coming, but Dwayne Johnson has confirmed that cameras are set to start rolling on the DCEU’s Black Adam in just three weeks. The actor has been circling the title role for almost fifteen years, and he’ll finally get the chance to enter the world of superhero blockbusters under the direction of his Jungle Cruise helmer and regular Liam Neeson collaborator Jaume Collet-Serra.
Black Adam was initially scheduled to begin production last year in order to hit the big screen this coming December, but the Coronavirus pandemic got in the way, and as things stand, it doesn’t have an official release date locked in as of yet. The supporting cast has been filling out in recent months, though, with Aladdin‘s Marwan Kenzari recently boarding the ensemble in a mystery role alongside Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman and Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone.
Seeing the world’s biggest movie star venturing into the comic book genre instantly makes Black Adam a hot prospect, but it’s also shaping up to be the DCEU’s first genuine cosmic epic, which adds another layer of excitement. And when confirming the start date for filming on social media, Johnson also put all of Marvel and DC’s spandex-clad heroes on notice, as you can read below:
“I wanted to show you the opening page to my script, which I look at every time I open this. I’ve memorized these words for years and years and years now. But it gives you guys an example of who Black Adam is, and who Black Adam is to the world of the DC Universe. But also, I think, who Black Adam is to the world of superhero universes period. And that is the DC Universe, but that also includes the Marvel superhero universe too. Now look, I’m not saying there’s going to be a mashup, I’m not saying that. But what I am saying, is that it doesn’t matter to me, and it doesn’t matter to Black Adam: You put ’em all on notice, whether they’re DC Universe or part of the Marvel Universe, they all get put on notice now.”
Johnson has been hitting the gym extra hard to get into peak physical condition for the role, which is a pretty terrifying prospect when you consider the sheer size of the man on a regular day, and as a passion project, he’s guaranteed to be pulling out all of the stops for Black Adam to deliver something special for fans of both his personal brand and the wider DC Comics universe.