Most of the noise surrounding the DCEU’s Black Adam has focused on Dwayne Johnson’s titular antihero, completely understandable when it’s a mega budget comic book blockbuster that features the world’s biggest, most popular and highest-paid movie star diving headfirst into cinema’s most marketable and lucrative genre.
While Johnson is without a doubt the star of the show, Black Adam‘s supporting cast are every bit as integral to the story as the leading man, especially when producer and Seven Bucks executive Hiram Garcia has already been teasing that spinoff announcements are coming sooner rather than later.
Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman form the Justice Society of America, and in a new interview with ScreenRant, Garcia teased what the latter is bringing to his performance.
“Hawkman’s already such a beloved character, but to watch Aldis take control of the character and portray a performance that alludes to a character who has dealt with so much, has been around for so many years. Obviously, reincarnations, iterations, and for fans that are familiar with Hawkman, they know what a bit of a tragic past and love story he has.
That Aldis was really able to tap into it. And not to mention, he also got in incredible shape. I remember the first time we finally got in person in Atlanta and he was jacked. I like to call it the Dwayne Johnson effect where any actor who’s around Dwayne’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to up my game’. And he came in, in incredible shape. His arms were huge. And just, and he’s also really skilled just on top of his acting, but physically as an athlete and as a tactician, when it comes to martial arts and so forth.
He had covered every aspect. He had dedicated so much time to wanting to cover everything with Hawkman that I think fans are going to really be excited with the energy he brings to the character. And also just the coolness that he takes his character who’s been around forever. But seeing it through Aldis’ eyes is really fun.”
Any actor who wants to convincingly go toe-to-toe with The Rock in an action epic is virtually obligated to hit the gym with a vengeance, and it sounds as though Hodge has the physicality down pat. Fortunately, he’s also proven himself as a hugely talented and naturally charismatic presence in countless movies and TV shows spanning multiple genres, so he’s sure to be more than a match for Black Adam when the two start trading blows.
