Black Adam Spinoff Already In The Works?
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After years of pushing for the film to be made, Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam finally released this past October, and while Deadline was speaking with producer Joe Singer, he dropped hints that the film may have a lasting impact on the DCU. Not only did the potential franchise starter introduce Black Adam to the DCU, but it also co-starred the Justice Society, comprised of Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). Now there are some rumblings of a Hawkman spinoff centered on the scene-stealing performance of Aldis Hodge, finally giving viewers around the world the opportunity to scratch their heads in confusion at his amazingly convoluted backstory.
Of all of the heroes in DC Comics, none have a backstory quite like Carter Hall, which starts in ancient Egypt and progresses through the centuries, as he is continuously reincarnated. In the commonly accepted version of his origin, Black Adam helps bring an alien ship to the Temple of Horus, where Carter and his fated love, Kendra, are bonded to the mysterious Nth metal, granting them the powers and memories of the Thanagarians. While your average movie goer may view Hawkman as another rich guy with fancy toys, comic readers know just how deep and confusing the backstory really is, despite multiple attempts at streamlining it.
That’s one of the reasons why, unlike other cases, even in Black Adam with Cyclone, the usually riotous comic fans didn’t decry a race-swap when Aldis Hodge was cast as Carter Hall. Technically, he’s the reincarnation of an Egyptian Prince, or of an alien warrior, again, the backstory gets confusing, which means over the span of his many lifetimes, the character has been every race at least once. A potential spinoff from Black Adam could dive deep into Hawkman, potentially playing out like a heroic version of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser.
Regardless of whether or not such a spin-off comes to fruition, Black Adam is, despite earlier reports, looking like it was a successful franchise starter for the DCU. According to Deadline, the film is on pace to produce a profit for Warner Brothers Discovery, not on par with the latest MCU films, but comparable to the ones from a decade ago. Ultimately, final say over the lasting impact of Black Adam rests with the decisions of two men: James Gunn and Peter Safran.
The two new Co-CEOs of the DCU have recently gone a wild spree, putting Wonder Woman 3 back on the shelf, re-casting Jason Momoa as another character, and maybe working on adapting Kingdom Come for the big screen. For now, it sounds like Black Adam 2 and a Hawkman spin-off are both being discussed as future projects, but no one knows what Gunn and Safran are thinking about the future of the franchise. According to Singer, franchises and sequels are the lifeblood of building up the DCU, but will the men with the keys to the kingdom agree with his assessment?
