Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the man of vision and voice in separating the origin movies of Black Adam and Shazam. Apparently, the initial plan of DC Films was to make the origin movie of Black Adam together with Shazam. Considering that the same wizard heavily influenced the origin of both character’s powers, it would have been a natural concept path.
Black Adam is Teth Adam in DC’s Prime Earth. In the comics, he is an ancient Egyptian slave whom the Wizard Shazam gave powers to. Due to his approach on justice and use of powers, the Wizard Shazam imprisoned Teth Adam for millennia. However, somehow he has freed himself from imprisonment and comes to modern day earth.
On the other hand, Shazam is Billy Batson. He is a boy who gains the power from the Wizard Shazam in contemporary times. At present, he is the wizard’s champion.
Dwayne Johnson Won In Making Black Adam Separate From Shazam
Image: DC Films
Because of this, Teth Adam has time and again dueled with Billy in the comics. In fact, Teth Adam is a character that is never full hero nor a full villain in the comics. He has his own idea of justice and punishment. Thus, he does so no matter what the cost.
Recently, Deadline posted an article saying that Johnson actually advocated for Black Adam to be kept out of Shazam! In the report, the initial plan was to have the two characters together in one movie. As it went, Johnson talked to the executives and convinced them that Black Adam has to have an origin movie separate from Shazam.
According to Dwayne Johnson as he told Vanity Fair:
When the first draft of the movie came to us, it was a combination of Black Adam and Shazam: Two origin stories in one movie. Now that was the goal, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. But when I read that, I just knew in my gut, ‘We can’t make this movie like this. We would be doing Black Adam an incredible disservice.’ It would’ve been fine for Shazam having two origin stories converge in one movie, but not good for Black Adam.
I said, ‘I have to share my thoughts here. It’s very unpopular’ because everybody thought, ‘Hey, this script is great, let’s go make this movie.’ I said, ‘I really think that you should make Shazam!, make that movie on its own in the tone that you want. And I think we should separate this as well.’
The article also mentioned that he also suggested that after focusing on separate origin stories, they can then have the two characters converge for a showdown movie.
Dwayne Johnson Won In Making Black Adam Separate From Shazam
Image: DC Films
Dwayne Johnson’s suggestion of separating Black Adam and Shazam indeed made a good point. Thus, we have the two characters in separate movies to date. While Asher Angel’s Billy Batson and Zachary Levi’s Shazam are now approaching the second movie, DCEU is still easing the character into its universe. It was only in the SDCC’s Shazam! official trailer that he is indeed in the world where the Justice League also exists.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Black Adam movie will feature other heroes of the DC Comics namely Hawkman, Cyclone, Atom Smasher and Doctor Fate. All of whom have a One-Shot series feature from writer Cavan Scott who teamed up with different artists per Black Adam: The Justice Society Files.
Warner Bros. will release Black Adam in theatres on October 21, 2022, while Shazam! Fury of the Gods will be in theaters on December 21, 2022.
