We’ve been waiting to see Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam for years. The film was first announced back in 2017 but a combination of the actor’s busy schedule and other Warner Bros. conflicts pushed it back further and further. This year, though, it felt like everything was finally coming together.
Johnson was showing off his bulging physique for the movie and the shoot was supposed to commence this summer. Due to Coronavirus though, that’s now been delayed, as Johnson may have to finish postponed Netflix film Red Notice before getting stuck into the DCEU. This means it’s more likely than not that Black Adam will miss its December 22nd, 2021 release date.
None of that is good news for fans of the character. But a small ray of light may come in the form of this leaked plot synopsis, which arrives courtesy of ‘EyoCaptain123’ on the DCEULeaks subreddit. The veracity and source of the information is completely unverified, so give it as much credibility as you think it deserves.
The leaker claims that the origin of the character will see Black Adam as a slave chosen by the Council of Wizards to become their champion. This proves a bad decision, as when Adam’s wife is murdered, it drives him into a fit of vengeful anger that results in the release of the Seven Deadly Sins, the death of all but one of the Council of Wizards and Adam being sealed in a magic tomb. He’s forced into imprisonment by warriors Khufu, Shayera and Nabu and remains there until the present day.
Upon his escape, he finds that his country of Khandaq has become a dictatorship governed by the descendant of the man who murdered his wife. He vows to liberate not just his country, but the rest of the world “whether they like it or not.” While doing this he forms an unlikely relationship with Khandaq residents Adrianna and her son Aziz.
Standing in his way are the reincarnations of the warriors who imprisoned him, now known as Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Doctor Fate. These four, among other golden age heroes, battled in World War II as the Justice Society of America. Hawkman and Hawkgirl decide to get the team back together to stop Black Adam, bringing in new members Atom Smasher and Cyclone. The film then concludes with the JSA heading to Khandaq for a titanic throwdown with Black Adam.
The leaker even claims to have a snatch of dialogue, which reads as follows:
ADRIANNA: Look, as stupid as this might sound in a country like this, I don’t want you teaching him violence.
BLACK ADAM: I understand, you want his father to teach him.
ADRIANNA: What? No! His father died.
BLACK ADAM: I’m sorry. Who do you want to teach him violence then?
ADRIANNA: No one!
BLACK ADAM: You are persistent.
ADRIANNA: We are Middle-Eastern. We persist or die.
Aside from that last line being a bit cringeworthy and kind of offensive, it sounds like interesting enough stuff. It crucially manages to square the circle of Black Adam being both protagonist and villain, with his motivations noble even if his method of achieving them isn’t. I have no idea whether this is an accurate summary of Black Adam or just hopeful fan fiction, but if they did go down this route, I certainly wouldn’t complain.
