Jaume Collett-Serra, Black Adam’s director, explains how the film will deal with the comics’ history between the Black Adam and Hawkman. Dwayne Johnson takes up the role of the Black Adam in the upcoming DCEU feature. It will see the Kahndaqian warrior, wrongfully imprisoned 5000 years earlier, resurface in the current day. In the Justice Society of America, Aldis Hodge and Pierce Brosnan will play Carter Hall/Hawkman and Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate, respectively. Quintessa Swindell will play Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone, while Noah Centineo will be Albert “Al” Rothstein/Atom Smasher.
Black Adam will likely face stiff competition from the JSA as he pursues his revengeful goals. Hodge’s Hawkman acts as Black Adam’s moral counterpart and stands firm against his unheroic actions. Many are curious about the origins of Black Adam’s comics. The trailer for Black Adam teased dire tensions between the Black Adam and Hawkman. The comics depict Prince Khufu as the original Hawkman, who lived around the same time as Black Adam. They were close friends. After Hath-Set murders Khufu, he is cursed with the ability to reincarnate indefinitely through time and space. Carter Hall is his current form. Hall and Black Adam recognize each other in comics after the former escapes prison. Previously, it was unclear if Black Adam would follow the same story, but now we can get some clarity.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Collet-Serra revealed that Black Adam won’t get bogged down in the history of Hawkman and Johnson’s eponymous character. This is because the truth is complex, and viewers may not be able to understand it.
Black Adam can ignore Hawkman’s complicated backstory without altering his origins. We have seen a similar occurrence in the past. When superheroes reincarnate, they usually don’t remember anything of their past. Instead, Hawkman experiences a moment of defining significance as he reaches adulthood that triggers his memories of his time as Prince Khufu. So, Hawkman possibly wouldn’t have experienced a life-changing moment during Black Adam. He would, therefore, not be able to recall meeting Black Adam. As for the Black Adam, he might not identify Carter as Prince Khufu even though he retains his memories from Kahndaq. This is because Carter’s appearance changes each time he is reborn.
Black Adam might not be able to recognize that Carter is Khufu. However, Carter’s warship, Thanagarian mace, and Nth metal wings may catch his attention. This could spark his curiosity about Hawkman’s origins and how he obtained these objects and technology from the era 5000 years ago. The franchise could use this intrigue to create a Hawkman TV series or movie. Johnson stated that Black Adam could perform well, and the JSA superheroes might get solo spinoffs. Hodge also expressed an interest in taking over Hawkman’s backstory and his association with Hawkgirl in a separate project. This potential suggests that Black Adam will likely have some buildup for such an opportunity. However, how the film approaches the franchise’s future will only be known once it is released in theaters.
