Rumor: Black Adam Casting Announcements Coming at DC FanDome
JB Augustine
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The line-up for DC FanDome is official with Black Adam’s panel set for 6 pm Eastern in the Hall of Heroes. Surprises are almost assured, but what are they?
Charles Murphy at Murphy’s Multiverse speculates a big casting announcement is in store to add to the cast headlined by lead Dwayne Johnson and Noah Centineo.
Related: New Rumor Provides Update On Amber Heard and Ezra Miller’s Status At Warner Bros.
Centineo, the would-be He-Man, recently signed on to play Justice Society recruit Atom Smasher. That’s one hero down; Murphy narrows in on another and a prospective main villain.
Hawkman
Murphy thinks the production has found its Hawkman – a major character in the script and the Justice Society – and may reveal him on the panel.
Armie Hammer, someone who’s had multiple opportunities to join the DC film multiverse, is a strong rumor but it hasn’t gone beyond Internet forums yet.
The claim is they want a physically imposing guy to match The Rock’s stature, which we keep hearing. Murphy narrows it to Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and Alexander Skarsgard (Godzilla vs. Kong). They may not match Johnson’s physique exactly but could pull it off.
Art by Bryan Hitch
Skarsgard in particular ought to make a convincing Carter Hall, having played Tarzan and worked opposite the colossal CG King Kong in a film we hopefully see sooner than later.
Related: Leaks May Spoil Castings of Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Doctor Fate for Black Adam
Murphy also brings up Joel Kinnaman, but let’s face it, he’s booked up as Rick Flag in The Suicide Squad for the foreseeable future unless the movie bombs or Flag is killed off and replaced by, say, an unknown soldier.
It’d still be impossible, though, for Kinnaman to step in to wield the mace of Hawkman. His second mission with the Squad is slated for release within the same year as Black Adam.
Immortal Villain?
Once a bad guy, Black Adam evolved into an antihero and world leader. He’s likely not the villain of his piece, Hawkman either. But somebody could step up to rival Adam’s longevity.
Who? Murphy considers Vandal Savage but thinks the obscure yet classic Shazam villain Ibac is more likely. The Golden Age Ibac was the criminal Stanley Printwhistle who got powers from Satan similar to Billy Batson and Teth-Adam. All he had to do was say the word “IBAC.”
Murphy points out The New 52 revamped Ibac into a warlord that conquered Kahndaq and killed Teth-Adam’s family, Ibac the First. The script by Adam Sztykiel may very well borrow from both origins and make Ibac a real threat and not some secondary antagonist.
Murphy might be on to something – or just following our coverage. The same leak that called Armie Hammer a frontrunner for Hawkman said Persian-American character actor Navid Negahban (Legion, Homeland) was leading the pack for Ibac.
The problem is a 4chan plot leak (if credible) alleged Black Adam awakens his first wife Shiruta who was slain in ancient times. Ibac could be responsible and only in the portion of the script set in the past, reportedly encompassing the first act, but he didn’t figure much into the story.
Shiruta, on the other hand, was described by the leak as vengeful against humanity and waking in the third act, making her the final boss/Big Bad.
But, there is a caveat with that too: Shiruta isn’t mentioned much in the overall scheme of things when stuff about Black Adam is announced. We don’t know who’s playing her and she might not even be in the final draft.
Again, this is mostly speculation requiring the proper iota of salt. We won’t know anything for sure until DC FanDome, the live online event, takes place this coming Saturday, Aug. 22nd.
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