Take a look at what the man called “The Rock” had to endure for his upcoming super-powered role!
Getting the right fit
Black Adam is known as one of the major powerhouses in the DC Comics superhero universe. The character, after all, has all the powers of the deities and mythical heroes that comprise the magic word SHAZAM (which in his case are the Egyptian gods Shu, Horus, Amun, Zehuti, Aten, and Mehen). Even prior to his transformation, his mortal form of Teth-Adam was a powerful physical specimen. Because of this, any actor that would take on the role of the DC Comics antihero would find it a tall order to get into the right shape. This is why fans have often pointed to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the ideal person to take on the role. Even in his days as a sports entertainer in the World Wrestling Federation/WWF (later World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE), Johnson was already famed for his massive, muscular build.
In September 2014, the actor finally confirmed he was attached and set to star in an upcoming Black Adam feature film, to the delight of fans across the globe. It was one of the few fan-castings for genre films that actually came to pass. Other similar fan-castings include Patrick Stewart as Prof. X and Ben Affleck as Batman.
Say the magic word
The magic word Johnson uses to transform is probably not what you would expect. For Johnson, there are actually two words: diet and training. The star has regularly shared photos and videos of himself either at the gym and hitting the weights or providing snippets of his particular meals. But while he had already been known for his very impressive physique, Johnson has stated that he pushed himself further in order to achieve the god-like stature of the super-powered Black Adam. In the most recent entry, Johnson shared a short video on Instagram that gave fans a glimpse as to the dietary habits he has to maintain in order to get into his extreme shape to truly get into character for the Black Adam role: Later, the star also shared a photo in his social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. In it, he confirms that the Black Adam film is in the final week of production, while thanking his fans and fans of the DC Comics character for their support. Sodium pulled. Water limited. Flank, egg whites, brown rice and blueberries Moreover, he emphasizes what it took to get into shape: He continues by sharing his thoughts and hopes for the DCEU film, and how it might shake up the current status quo in this particular cinematic universe: The star’s intense training appears to have certainly paid off, as he looks even more ripped than ever before. While we have yet to see any image or photo of Johnson in costume, he already cuts an imposing stature.
Clash of titans
Johnson’s Black Adam may need all that training to be in top form. As the current plot and casting has revealed, the titular antihero will be battling the Justice Society of America, among them being the winged warrior Hawkman, the immensely strong Atom Smasher, and the god-like Dr. Fate. If persisting rumors are accurate, he may even be facing off with the Man of Steel himself, Superman (Henry Cavill). In the meantime, before the release of Black Adam, Johnson will be appearing in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, coming out on July 30, 2021, where he will play Skipper Frank Wolff opposite Emily Blunt’s Dr. Lily Houghton. The film is intended as a spiritual successor to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Produced under his own Seven Bucks Productions, Black Adam stars Dwayne Johnson in the title role. Other members of the cast include Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi as Isis, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. superhero film is scheduled for release in theaters on July 29, 2022.
