Black Adam (film)

Lore & Background

The film's development began with Dwayne Johnson attached to Shazam! early on, confirmed to portray the villain Black Adam in September 2014. At Johnson's urging, producers later decided to give the character his own film. Adam Sztykiel was hired in October 2017, and Jaume Collet-Serra joined in June 2019 with a planned December 2021 release, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional casting included four members of the Justice Society of America, and the script was rewritten by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani. Principal photography took place from April to August 2021 at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and also in Los Angeles.

Reader's Guide

Black Adam premiered in Mexico City on October 3, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 21 to mixed reviews from critics. It failed to break even at the box office, grossing $393 million against a budget of $190–$260 million, becoming a box-office bomb. The film introduced the Justice Society of America to the DCEU, including characters Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. It also featured a mid-credits scene with Superman, marking Henry Cavill's final performance as the character before he stepped down from the role. Despite its commercial underperformance, the film expanded the DCEU's mythological and historical elements, centering on the ancient nation of Kahndaq and the Crown of Sabbac.

Did You Know?

• Dwayne Johnson also voiced Black Adam in a post-credits cameo in the unrelated animated film *DC League of Super-Pets* (2022).
• Henry Cavill's appearance in *Black Adam* was long thought to be his final performance as Superman, but his actual final performance was in *The Flash* (2023).

From Cameo to Standalone: The Long Road to Production

Dwayne Johnson was originally attached to the 2019 Shazam! project during its earliest development phase, and his casting as the villain Black Adam was locked in by September 2014. However, at Johnson's own insistence, the producers ultimately pivoted the character from a supporting antagonist into the centerpiece of his own feature. Screenwriter Adam Sztykiel was brought on board in October 2017, and director Jaume Collet-Serra signed on by June 2019 with an initial target release of December 2021. The global pandemic disrupted that timeline, pushing the schedule back and opening a window for additional casting, including four members of the Justice Society of America. During that period, Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani were brought in to rewrite the screenplay. Principal photography eventually ran from April through August 2021, with production based at Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, supplemented by shooting in Los Angeles. The result was the eleventh installment of the DC Extended Universe, a film that carried the weight of years of planning and shifting priorities.

A Hero's Burden: Story and Character

The film's narrative spans from 2600 BC to the modern era, tracing the tragic origin of Teth-Adam. In ancient Kahndaq, the tyrant King Ahk-Ton enslaves his people to mine Eternium for the Crown of Sabbac. After his son Hurut is murdered by Ahk-Ton's assassins, Adam is granted the powers of six Egyptian gods, slaughters the king, and destroys his palace. Deemed unworthy by the Council of Wizards, he kills them all in a fit of grief before Shazam imprisons him. In the present day, archaeologist Adrianna Tomaz accidentally releases him while trying to recover the Crown from Intergang forces. US official Amanda Waller labels him a threat and summons the Justice Society to contain his rampage. The true antagonist, Ishmael Gregor, reveals himself as Intergang's Kahndaq leader and last bloodline of Ahk-Ton, ultimately reborn as Sabbac, champion of six hellish demons. After a devastating confrontation, Adam destroys Kahndaq's throne and embraces the name Black Adam, while a mid-credits scene introduces Superman as a looming figure.

Box Office and Critical Response

Black Adam had its world premiere in Mexico City on October 3, 2022, before hitting US theaters on October 21 of that year. Critics delivered a largely mixed reception, and the film's financial performance proved equally troubling. Against a reported production budget ranging from $190 million to $260 million, the movie collected approximately $393 million worldwide, a figure that fell short of covering its costs. As a result, it was widely classified as a box-office bomb, a particularly notable outcome given the star power of its lead and the built-in audience from the earlier Shazam! entry. The film's position as the eleventh DCEU installment also meant it carried the expectations of a franchise that had already faced its own share of commercial and critical scrutiny. The combination of a high production cost, pandemic-era timing disruptions, and a divided critical consensus made Black Adam a cautionary case study in how even a marquee name and a well-known comic-book property could fail to deliver the financial returns studios had projected.

The Supporting Ensemble and Casting Choices

Beyond Johnson's central performance, the film assembled a diverse supporting cast to populate both the Justice Society and the antagonistic forces of Intergang. Aldis Hodge portrayed Carter Hall, the Nth-metal-wielding leader of the Justice Society known as Hawkman, while Noah Centineo took on Atom Smasher, a young metahuman capable of manipulating his own molecular structure to alter size and strength. Sarah Shahi played Adrianna Tomaz, the university professor and resistance fighter who becomes Adam's key ally in modern Kahndaq. Marwan Kenzari delivered the villainous role of Ishmael Gregor, the Intergang operative who transforms into Sabbac, a champion empowered by six of Hell's most powerful demons. Quintessa Swindell and Pierce Brosnan also appeared in supporting capacities. For the physical demands of the role, Benjamin Patterson served as Johnson's body double in human-form sequences, with Johnson's face digitally superimposed. Johnson had previously voiced Black Adam in a post-credits segment of DC League of Super-Pets (2022) and appeared in a brief Shazam! cameo, making this his first full live-action portrayal.

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