For Dwayne Johnson’s newest role, he gets to play a DC villain that takes after one of Clint Eastwood’s most memorable characters.
The villain is none other than Black Adam, superhero Shazam’s arch-nemesis. While the comic book antihero was originally introduced in 1945, he hasn’t been a major player on the silver screen just yet. But in October, Johnson will surely make him famous.
During the recent ComicBook.com event, the former Fast & Furious star sat down to talk about joining the DC universe. And he gave an interesting backstory about taking the part.
Apparently, the Black Adam project has been in the works for about five years now. And when director Jaume Collet-Serra first approached Johnson, he asked who his “favorite actor of all time is,” and the answer was (and still is) Clint Eastwood.
After learning that little tidbit, Collet-Serra knew that Johnson was perfect for the movie.
“I’m glad you said that because I see Black Adam as being the Dirty Harry of the superhero world,” Johnson remembered him saying.
And with that in mind, Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry became both Johnson and Collet-Serra’s “North Star.”
Clint Eastwood’s Iconic Villian is the Quintessential Anti-Hero
Like Dirty Harry, Black Adam is a good guy gone wrong. He was once a predecessor of Captain Marvel. But after an ancient Egyptian force handed him seemingly unending powers, he didn’t want to follow Marvel, he wanted to dominate the world.
While Clint Eastwood’s character isn’t an immortal overlord like Dwayne Johnson’s, he is the ultimate antihero. As a young man, he follows all the laws of the land. But at some point, he decides that rules are useless. And he lives his life catching criminals using any means possible. There are no morals too tight or lives too important to stand in his way.
And, of course, Eastwood perfects Dirty Harry with his icy-cool stare and his nonchalant demeanor. He’s the perfect person you love to hate because, despite the fact that he’s a monster, he sometimes makes sense.
So working on a Clint Eastwood-like character has been “a dream come true” for Dwayne Johnson. And we’re sure we’ll see a little Harry Callahan in Black Adam as he wreaks havoc on the world later this year.
“I can’t wait for you guys to see the movie,” Johnson added. “I think by the time Black Adam comes out in the fall at the end of October, if we do our job well – which we will do our job very well … And I think the world is going to be ready for Black Adam. So I cannot wait.”
Johnson’s new flick drops in theaters on October 21, 2022.
