Black Adam: Dwayne Johnson's Co-Star Aldis Hodge Hypes Up Work With The Rock For DC Movie

Black Adam has been in development for quite some time now, but it's already been confirmed during last August's DC FanDome that work has ramped up for the film and a potential release date might be announced soon. The movie will be the DCEU debut of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular anti-hero, and he will be joined by a slew of heroes from the Justice Society of America.

One of the members of the JSA that will be involved in Black Adam's solo adventure is Hawkman. The hero will be played by Aldis Hodge, and this will mark the first iteration of the character in the ever-expanding DCEU. 

In the past months, Hodge shared his progress in terms of getting ready for the role by unveiling his stack of Black Adam comics on Instagram. On top of that, the Straight Outta Compton actor previously teased the importance of playing Carter Hall for the upcoming film, revealing that “the character's understanding and love of trying to get history right” is the most appealing trait that he loved about the role. 

Now, Hodge unveils more details about the exciting prospect of working with Johnson in an exclusive interview. 

NEWS

In an interview with Collider, Aldis Hodge shared details about his preparation for his role as Hawkman in Black Adam. First, the actor admitted that he is “sworn to secrecy” about his upcoming portrayal, but he did point out that they already discussed “a lot about the arc of the character” internally. 

“We discussed a lot about the arc of the character and that's all I can say [about] that. The connection broke up. I couldn't hear... *laughs* aw, man. I'm sworn to secrecy.”

Moreover, Hodge opened up about working with The Rock, expressing his excitement to “just kind of pick his brain on a couple [of] things.” The One Night in Miami star cited examples such as “the nutritional stuff” as well as learning “a little bit of how to manage that hustle.”

“Working with The Rock, man, this is gonna be awesome. I'm a big fan of the moves he's made in his career and how he got to where he's at. You gotta be a smart brother, and I'm talking about a hustling brother, to make it up to the top of the ranks and become the biggest action star in the world, and he's done so with really smart, strategic moves. So I can't wait to just kind of pick his brain on a couple things. I've already been asking him the nutritional stuff, he got me set right there. I like to surround myself with real mavericks who are teachers, and I feel like being around him, I'll be able to learn a little bit of how to manage that hustle, just the way I learned a lot from Regina on this project in terms of how she handled herself as a leader on set and being able to manage the full team, man. It was a fantastic education watching her work.”

WHAT THIS MEANS

It remains to be seen how Hawkman fits in the Black Adam puzzle, but Hodge's excitement about (finally) working with Johnson should bode well for the development of the film. The actor has been vocal about his preparations for the role, and his passion could very well translate on-screen, ultimately leading to an impressive portrayal when Black Adam premieres down the line. This essentially proves that Hodge is the perfect candidate for the role. 

In DC Comics, Hawkman and Black Adam had very interesting character beats, and it will be interesting to find out how the film will explore this unusual dynamic. For the most part, the two characters are usually pitted against one another, and it looks like a live-action showdown will eventually happen. If anything, the sheer strength of Hawkman going against the powerful might of Black Adam will no doubt be a sight to behold for viewers. 

Plot details of Black Adam are still being kept under wraps, but the addition of the Justice Society of America could potentially shed some light on how the story will play out. Given that it was already teased that the film will tackle the anti-hero's rise to power, it looks like the JSA will serve as the primary foes of Black Adam.

Despite that, there is some evidence from the comics that Black Adam joined forces with the JSA to go against a common enemy. However, knowing the true nature of Black Adam, a betrayal is very much in play, and a full-blown standoff might end up happening in the final battle of the film. 

Whatever the case, it's safe to say that there will be numerous interactions between Hodge's Hawkman and Johnson's Black Adam in the film, and it will be exciting to see how the relationship of the characters will evolve throughout the narrative.