The first reactions for Black Adam are in, as journalists share their thoughts after watching Dwayne Johnson’s highly-anticipated DC movie. Starring Johnson as the titular antihero, the movie tells the origin story of Teth-Adam, a man born into slavery who acquires powers equivalent to those of Shazam.
Black Adam explores how Teth-Adam developed a distorted version of justice after his traumatic experience as an enslaved person in Ancient Egypt. Once he gets his powers, Teth-Adam wants to use his newfound might to wipe out criminals from the face of the earth. Teth-Adam’s bloody actions turn him into a cruel antihero, which might set him on a collision course with the DCEU’s Shazam (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi), his comic book nemesis.
While Shazam is not part of Black Adam, Teth-Adam will still have to face many superheroes. That’s because, after being trapped for centuries, Black Adam reemerges in a time where heroes protect the streets. In the movie, the Justice Society of America is not ready to accept the existence of a metahuman who kills other people, even criminals, which will lead them to fight Black Adam. The film’s version of the JSA includes Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman.
There’s a lot of hope for Black Adam to push the DCEU forward after Warner Bros. Discovery canceled multiple films and series inspired by their comic book IPs. Warner Bros. Discovery is currently working on a 10-year plan that will theoretically unify every production under a single banner, and Black Adam is the first project to be part of this long-term schedule. Here’s what critics are saying about The Rock’s DCEU debut.
As promised by the numerous trailers, the film delivers incredible action with some critics calling it “epic on every level.”
Some critics are calling Black Adam “a game changer,” with heaps of praise for Johnson’s debut as the titular anti-hero and many saying Pierce Brosnan is a “scene stealer.”
A few critics took issue with the writing for the film as well as the villain, while still calling it “fun to watch.”
Black Adam is currently set to be released in theaters on October 21. Check out the movie’s trailer below.
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