Dwayne Johnson Is DC’s Latest Antihero in ‘Black Adam’

Years after the film went into development, Black Adam is finally coming to theaters. On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Pictures released the first trailer of the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-starring film, giving fans a glimpse at Black Adma’s origin and the powers he possesses. The film is set to premiere in October.

“I was a slave until I died. Then I was reborn a god,” Johnson says as his character, Black Adam. “My son sacrificed his life to save me.” The trailer then shows Adam being shot at with no effect on his ripped body. “Now I die for no one.”

Johnson’s character — a 5,000-year-old warrior who, after being impisoned in a tomb, is reborn in the modern world with superhuman strength and the ability to fly — is the enemy of Shazam, who fans first met in 2019 in the DC favorite’s origin story. (Black Adam was supposed to appear in said film, but the role was scrapped so he could have his own spinoff.)

Pierce Brosnan portrays Dr. Fate, who is part of the Justice Society of America. In the trailer, Dr. Fate presents Black Adam with a moral dilemma, telling him he must pick a side.

“My vision has shown me the future. You have two choices,” Dr. Fate warns Black Adam. “You can be the destroyer of this world or you can be its savior. That’s up to you.”

But Black Adam makes it clear from the jump — he isn’t your typical superhero.

“In this world, there are heroes, and there are villains,” someone tells Johnson’s Adam. “Heroes don’t kill people.” To which he responds, “Well, I do.”

While Adam is also seen flying and saving people in one scene, he sends another man into orbit.

Aldis Hodge stars as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone in the film.

“Your unwavering support and relentless excitement for this passion project of mine has meant the world to me,” Johnson wrote on Instagram ahead of the trailer’s release. “Now it’s my turn to deliver for you. The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is changing.”

The Jaume Collet-Serra-directed film is out Oct. 21.

From Rolling Stone US.