See Dwayne Johnson Shooting Lightning Out Of His Fingers On Stage
Dwayne Johnson learned how to work an audience by being the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and he hasn't lost his spark.
This article is more than 2 years old
Dwayne Johnson has always had a flair for the dramatic. You do not get to be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment by not making a big show out of things and knowing how to work an audience. Dwayne Johnson used his world-destroying level of charisma very appropriately at San Diego Comic-Con, appearing on stage to literally electrify things. Where many actors showed up to their panel presentations with a few jokes or some vague Q&A with audience members (looking at you, Zachary Levi), Dwayne Johnson showed up in style. Have a look at Dwayne Johnson literally surrounded by electricity to make his Comic-Con appearance:
As you can see, Dwayne Johnson made his entry to San Diego Comic-Con by way of a darkened stage and an ominous voiceover. A dramatic score kicks in and then light bursts on Dwayne Johnson himself, standing alone with arms outstretched. Lightning explodes all around him, and the crowd bursts into uproarious applause. Naturally, the superstar is also dressed in character as Teth-Adam from his upcoming movie Black Adam.
Black Adam has been one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming DCEU films in years, for quite a few reasons. For one, all reports seem to indicate that Warner Bros is eager to begin phasing out the first wave of DCEU actors like Henry Cavill and the ever-more controversial Ezra Miller in favor of new actors like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena. For another, this is the much-ballyhooed introduction of Dwayne Johnson into a superhero movie. As Johnson is one of the single biggest movie stars in the world, there must have been a titanic battle between Warner Bros and Disney to see whether they could lock him down for the DC Extended Universe or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Clearly, Warner Bros emerged as the winner.
It also seems that Warner Bros is positioning Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam as the new center of the DCEU. This befits a star of his stature and also can hopefully give the DCEU some sense of direction. If anyone in Hollywood could do it, Dwayne Johnson certainly seems like the person. Black Adam will also star Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, who gives us all the magical gift of James Bond with a silver fox beard, Noah Centineo as the giant Atom-Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone. From what glimpses we have seen of the film so far, it does not look like Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam will not be having a very friendly relationship with the Justice Society.
The marketing for Black Adam has gone to great lengths to position Dwayne Johnson’s character as a grim antihero, which is faithful to the modern depiction of the character but also a little bit of an odd choice for the famously charming actor. However, it seems that portraying Black Adam has been a long-held dream for Dwayne Johnson and now that he has finally gotten the chance, nothing is going to slow him down. And if that means we get some wild displays of power like this at Comic-Con, that is fine by us.
