Aldis Hodge of The Invisible Man fame has been tapped to play Hawkman in Dwayne Johnson starrer Black Adam. Johnson himself announced the news on his Instagram account.
While announcing the news, Johnson also revealed the funny interaction he had with Hodge when he called him to give him the good news. Black Adam is a spin-off of Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s Shazam!, with Zachary Levi as the titular superhero.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows), Black Adam will feature Johnson as the titular antihero, reported Variety. According to DC Comics, Hawkman aka Carter Hall is a member of the Justice Society, a multigenerational group that preceded the Justice League.
The synopsis reads: The story centres on the character who was first created as Shazam’s arch-nemesis, back when that squinty-eyed hero was named Captain Marvel but evolved into a more layered individual.
The traces of Hawkman, first appeared in 1940’s Flash Comics No. 1, goes back to one of a pair of lovers from Ancient Egypt destined to constantly be reincarnated throughout time and space. With many rebirths the story led to the emergence of a hawk-themed hero using both giant wings and an alien element called ‘nth metal’ which negates gravity and allows him to fly. In contemporary comics, he’s Carter Hall, an archaeologist turned adventurer who struggles with anger issues and his ability to control a mace.
Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani have penned the latest draft of the script, from a previous draft by Adam Sztykiel. The makers are yet to cast actors for the roles of Doctor Fate and Cyclone. Johnson is co-producing the film with Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia through their Seven Bucks Productions, and Beau Flynn through FlynnPictureCo. Scott Sheldon will oversee FlynnPictureCo and will also serve as an executive producer.
Black Adam is slated to release on 21 December 2021.