Fresh off the news from producer Hiram Garcia that they’re in the planning stages of how to cross over Black Adam and Shazam, the man himself Dwanye Johnson has just dropped in with a major bit of information about the new film. Speaking in an interview with ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis, Johnson confirmed that none other than The Justice Society of America will be introduced into the DCEU via the Black Adam movie. This will mark the live-action feature film debut of the iconic DC superhero group who made their comic book debut in 1940.
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When asked about the project, Johnson plainly revealed the information about the Justice Society’s appearance in the film (while also noting that he hasn’t officially done a costume fitting for the role). His Jumanji: The Next Level co-star Kevin Hart attempted to lobby for a role in the film, asking to be Black Adam’s sidekick. Johnson lamented that Black Adam doesn’t have one, saying instead that perhaps Kevin Hart could take on a bit part with the JSA.
“We’re also gonna introduce JSA in Black Adam,” Johnson said to Hart. “So in JSA maybe there’s a (role)…They have an animal, a pet.”
The Justice Society of America are DC Comics’ first super-team whose line up originally featured the Golden Age versions of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and more. Following the debut of the DC multiverse and later “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the team was commonly referred to as a superhero team that began in the 1940s whose members included the original Green Lantern, The Flash, Hourman, Sandman, and Hawkman, with no mention of A-listers like Batman or Superman.
Hawkman was previously reported to appear in a draft of the Black Adam script alongside another JSA member, Stargirl. From the sounds of it though, they won’t be the only characters from the team making an appearance in the film though. In the pages of DC Comics Black Adam has both fought against the JSA and even alongside them, which version of that story will make it to the big screen remains to be seen.
Production on Black Adam will reportedly begin in July of 2020 with director Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows) set to step behind the camera for the film with Joker cinematographer Lawrence Sher working alongside him. Black Adam is scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 22, 2021.
For other DC Comics released, Joker is now playing in theaters everywhere. The next films on the docket include Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7, 2020; Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020; The Batman on June 25, 2021; The Suicide Squad on August 6, 2021; and Aquaman 2 on December 16, 2022.
