Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam movie will introduce one of the most powerful characters in DC Comics to the DC Movie Universe. But just how powerful is Black Adam? For millions of moviegoers around the world who will only be introduced to the magical anti-hero, the question is a very new and valid one – and as with all things DC, there’s only one real standard of comparison: Superman, the undisputed most powerful character that DC has. Well, in a new interview, The Rock takes on the question directly, and makes it clear that when comparing Black Adam’s power to Superman, there’s plenty of room for debate!
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Johnson was doing an interview with THR for his upcoming Disney movie release, Jungle Cruise, and spoke about Black Adam (which just wrapped production) and how the character differs from Superman:
“Black Adam has all the powers of Superman, but the difference is he is blessed with magic,” The Rock explains. “And also, by a code of ethics in the world of superheroes, they don’t kill the bad guys, but Black Adam does.”
DC Comics fans already know that what The Rock says above is very valid and true: the fact that Black Adam is powered by magic is a major game-changer when it comes to comparing Black Adam’s power to Superman. There are only two things in DC Comics canon that can injure or potentially kill Superman: Kryptonite, or magic. It’s what makes Adam such a formidable opponent for Superman: he indeed has all the power and durability of Superman, plus the added benefit of magical abilities. After all, Teth-Adam was once the champion of The Wizard, endowed with all the powers of Shazam (stamina, speed, strength, wisdom, power, and courage). That gives Black Adam an edge to potentially defeat Superman in any fight – especially since Adam will use his powers to inflict pain (or kill) in ways Superman never would.
A great example of how the balance of power between Superman and Black Adam can be found in DC Showcase: Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam. That animated short (now streaming on HBO Max) showcases just how vulnerable Superman really is to Black Adam’s magic – and why Shazam is therefore such a crucial member of the Justice League, as the only hero who can counter all of Black Adam’s magical powers.
Indeed, after The Rock’s Black Adam movie and the sequel film Shazam: Fury of the Gods are both released in 2022 and 2023 (respectively), DC fans will be looking to see the Shazam!, Black Adam, and Justice League (or Superman) movie franchises collide.
Black Adam will be in theaters on July 29, 2022.
