The Rock Is Officially Joining the DC Extended Universe as Black Adam

Philip Ellis

November 14, 2019 5:52 PM

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just shared a post on Instagram announcing that he will play the DC character Black Adam in his own standalone movie. The post, which includes concept art of how Johnson will appear in character, confirms a longstanding rumor that most fans had assumed was already fact; Johnson has, after all, made no secret of the fact that he wished to play the famous antihero on-screen.

The Rock Is Officially Playing Black Adam

"Like most kids growing up, I dreamed about being a superhero," Johnson writes in the caption. "Having cool superpowers, fighting for whats right and always protecting the people. It all changed for me, when I was 10yrs old and was first introduced to the greatest superhero of all time - SUPERMAN. As a kid, Superman was the hero I always wanted to be."

"But, a few years into my fantasy, I realized that Superman was the hero, I could never be. I was too rebellious. Too rambunctious. Too resistant to convention and authority. Despite my troubles, I was still a good kid with a good heart - I just liked to do things my way. Now, years later as a man, with the same DNA I had as a kid - my superhero dreams have come true. Im honored to join the iconic #DCUniverse and its a true pleasure to become, BLACK ADAM."

"BLACK ADAM is blessed by magic with the powers equal to SUPERMAN, but the difference is he doesnt toe the mark or walk the line. Hes a rebellious, one of a kind superhero, wholl always do whats right for the people - but he does it his way. Truth and justice - the BLACK ADAM way. This role is unlike any other Ive ever played in my career and Im grateful to the bone well all go on this journey together."

Now that he's officially going to be a part of the DC canon, it looks like Johnson might not be taking that role in the next Deadpool movie.

Johnson has previously spoken about how important he thinks it is for comic book movies to be diverse in the kinds of heroes they present to young audiences, and praised Marvel Studios for the "tremendous job" they did in building out their universe and populating it with an inclusive cast of characters. While Wonder Woman was the first female-led DC movie, Black Adam will mark the first movie in the DC universe to feature a non-white lead.

Black Adam currently has a release date of December 22, 2021.

Philip Ellis