Well it looks like after "The Rock" was rumored for just about every currently available DC role in book, he will in fact be playing a character he's been a fan-favorite for since the dawn of the decade. We've been through a roller coaster of rumors since the former wrestler first announced his involvement with a DC film last winter, with possibilities ranging from Green Lantern to Doomsday, and even all the way to Lex Luthor. But Johnson has certainly made things clearer for us fans in the last few months,despite not making his highly anticipated announcement at Comic-Con. After teasing through social media that he'd be playing either the superhero Shazam or his arch-nemesis Black Adam, we finally have our official answer.
Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, for once The Rock won't be taking on the role of the hero, as he'll be playing the evil Black Adam. Thankfully, The Rock himself was the one to put an end to all the recent rumor mill madness, confirming via
Twitter that he will be playing the villain in
WB's upcoming
Shazam film. Now of course, we've known for some time that
WB was planning a
Shazam film, specifically following
the supposed leak of the studio's upcoming release schedule for their DC property films. While the rumored schedule had
Shazam listed for a July 2016 release (Which would make sense given Johnson's early involvement with the film),
WB has yet to confirm or deny this rumor, but it's safe to say we can expect the film within a reasonable span of the next few years.
Now too many fans, the idea of a charismatic and usually comedic actor such as The Rock playing one of
DC's most vicious villains in a tough pill to swallow. Although The Rock has always been a fan-favorite for the part, his comparisons to the character in the past have solely been based on his resemblance to the character. I myself expected that Johnson would end up playing the titular hero of
Shazam, given his track-record as a leading man in many family and adventure films, as well as his ability to give the character the "kid at heart" personality he needs. Having said that, I'm perfectly open to Johnson giving us his take on Black Adam, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up pulling off one of the more menacing (And popular) villains will be seeing in
DC's upcoming films. There have even been rumors that
WB has an interest in making Black Adam into the
DC universe's equivalent of Tom Hiddleston's Loki, as a character who eventually crosses path with other heroes aside from his primary foe.
Bringing on an actor as well known as Johnson on board to launch one of their lesser known heroes is certainly a smart move on
DC's part, but there are of course still many major elements of the film that the studio has yet to attend to. One such key competent is who will be directing the film, with the studio likely looking for someone who can pull of the light-hearted fun tone they want for an onscreen portrayal of
Shazam. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (
22 Jump Street) seem like viable candidates, although I personally think it'd be very interesting if
WB snatched Edgar Wright and his fitting style for the film following his fallout with
Marvel over
Ant-Man. Then there's of course the casting of the film's two main leads, young Billy Batson and the adult superhero he turns into. While it's hard to think of an actor who could really come off as an intimidating match to Johnson's Black Adam, Joe Manganiello (
True Blood) would work wonders both comedically and physically as the hero.
So how do you feel about The Rock playing Black Adam? Will you be able to take him seriously as a villain? What actor would you like to see go toe to toe with him as Shazam? Let us know below!
