Black Adam is loaded with characters, some whom are likely only known to the most hardcore of DC fans. We’re going to break down some of the big names in the film, who they are in the comics, and what their implications might be for the larger DCEU following their introduction in this film.
Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson):
We’ve talked about the comic book origins of Black Adam quite a bit, but as a quick refresher, Black Adam was originally a villain who was the nemesis of Shazam. He has the powers of the Egyptian gods, where as Shazam has the powers of the Greek gods. Dwayne Johnson is situating Black Adam to be a major figure in the DC universe, which is contrary to his comic book origins. It does mean that we will have more than one BIPOC antagonist in the DCEU (hi Black Manta, miss you so much). I’m hoping that Black Adam will show up in the Shazam sequel in 2023.
Carter Hall/Hawkman (Aldis Hodge):
Carter Hall, in the comics, is the reincarnation of an Egyptian prince, which does give him some connection to Black Adam in the original comic book canon. Much like Green Lantern, Carter Hall has always been portrayed as a conservative yet hotheaded character who was quick to get into fights and lead with violence. In the film, Aldis Hodge plays the character not as hot tempered, but definitely someone with confidence a little bit of ego and swagger—which is honestly quite attractive especially when Aldis Hodge is doing it.
Since he has been set up as the leader of the Justice Society of America and also working with Amanda Waller, it would be interesting to see how he plays up against the Justice League, a more independent organization. Also, how does the JSA fit against the Justice League? Was it created as a response to it? Or was the JSA first?
Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan):
Despite what some MCU fanboys might have you think, Doctor Fate was created nearly 30 years before Doctor Strange ever decided to appropriate Asian culture. Doctor Fate is a magic user and a master of the mystical arts, which we don’t get to see that much of in this film, but he has immense magical power. In this film, he plays sort of the role of the elder statesman bridging the gap between generations as a leader, and the morality/temperament foil to Hawkman. While the ending of Black Adam makes you wonder if there is any future for Fate, it is important to remember that Kent Nelson is only one of the many people who have that title in the DC universe.
Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell):
Cyclone is the granddaughter of Red Tornado. In the comics, at six years old, she is captured by supervillain mad scientist T.O. Morrow and is injected with nanobytes, which give her the power of wind manipulation. She also loves The Wizard of Oz. Some of this is alluded to, but because Cyclone is more of a supporting character, there is not a lot of developed with the character in the film. Considering that Morrow is a fairly big villain and responsible for a lot of harm against other heroes, it is possible she might come up again.
Albert Rothstein/Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo):
Another legacy character, Al is the godson of Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom. He has the ability to manipulate his own mass, which allows him to change size. However, it can also be very painful for him. One of the qualities that Centineo captures really well is the character’s desire to be a true hero and live up to expectations. Again, not that much brought for Al to do, but he was there.
Adrianna Tomaz/Isis (Sarah Shahi):
A resistance fighter in Kahndaq, Adrianna is like a mixture of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, using her university degree to fight towards just for her people. While not a warrior, she fights hard for the rights of her people. In the comics, Adrianna is also able to gain the powers of the Egyptian Goddess Isis. When she says, “I am Isis,” she’s able to be on par with characters like Supergirl and Wonder Woman. Due to the associations of the name “Isis” in the real world in recent years, it is unlikely that we’ll get her transformation like this in the DCEU, but if there is a sequel, they may use another goddess to bring in her powers.
Amon Tomaz/Osiris (Bodhi Sabongui):
Amon is Adrianna’s teenage comic book obsessed son in the film. Amon, in the comics, is Ardianna’s brother and gains powers due to Black Adam. They make up their own Black Marvel Family.
(image: Warner Bros.)
