DC’s proposed Shazam movie doesn’t have a director, star, or even a finished script. What it does have is a villain, Black Adam, played by Dwayne Johnson, and that means he’s getting his own movie.
Deadline reports, and io9 confirmed, that the idea for Shazam has now been split in two. First, Johnson will play Black Adam in a solo movie. Then there would be a Shazam movie, without Black Adam—and then, maybe, a third having the two face off.
Johnson has been attached to the role of Black Adam for several years. And in that time, he’s gone from big star to one of the biggest stars in the world. That means New Line and Warner Bros. didn’t want to just make him second fiddle in a movie. They decided Black Adam’s anti-hero backstory, starring Johnson, was enough for its own movie. The Shazam film will remain in development.
This is a pretty major shakeup from that previously announced list of DC Films, but that’s a good thing. The more adaptable the studio and filmmakers can be, the better the movies will be. At least we hope.
The next DC Film to hit theaters will be June’s Wonder Woman. After that is November’s Justice League. And James Wan is also about to go into production on Aquaman.
[Deadline]