Black Adam Director Explains the DCEU's Justice Society

The time of heroes is over in DC's Black Adam. Long before Superman (Henry Cavill), Batman (Ben Affleck), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) united to form the Justice League, the enslaved Teth Adam (Dwayne Johnson) dished out a unique form of justice born out of rage. Freed after 5,000 years, the god-like Black Adam is challenged by another super-team that believes in fighting for truth and justice: the Justice Society. "I'm going to teach them the only beliefs I fight for are mine," Johnson's anti-hero warned in a DC FanDome teaser revealing the JSA lineup. "Welcome to truth, justice, and the Black Adam way."

The modern-day heroes of the Justice Society are moral team leader Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), younger new recruits Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), and senior member Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan).

"We have Doctor Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. Hawkman and Doctor Fate are the senior members of the team," director Jaume Collet-Serra said in a DC Nation interview included in the pages of tie-in comic book Black Adam – The Justice Society Files. "For Doctor Fate, he's almost godlike, so to have Pierce Brosnan, who is so warm and sensitive, made it the perfect combination."

The team is under the leadership of Carter Hall, a.k.a. Hawkman, who "has a very strict sense of morality and justice," Collet-Serra explained. "He's a bit of a scientist and a bit of a gladiator. Atom Smasher is a little bit of the new kid on the black. He's someone who's very charming, but also isn't quite sure if he's on the right side. Finally, we have Cyclone, who comes from a linage of heroes and has been imbued with nanotechnology."

With the Justice Society and A.R.G.U.S. Director Amanda Waller (Suicide Squad's Viola Davis) of Task Force X in the mix, Black Adam "thematically talks about what makes a hero and who has the right to define what justice is."

"Black Adam was born 5,000 years ago, when things were very different, and does things his way for what he believes is right," the director said of the champion hailing from ancient Kahndaq, bestowed with the almighty powers of the gods. While Teth Adam — reborn as Black Adam — wields his powers for vengeance, Collet-Serra said, "I wouldn't say that Black Adam's moral code is questionable. I would say that it's not contemporary."

DC describes the Black Adam cast of characters:

BLACK ADAM - Hailed as the slave who became Champion, the mortal slave Teth-Adam was bestowed the powers of the gods. When he used his powers for vengeance, he was entombed, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years later, Black Adam is freed from his imprisonment and finds his unique form of justice challenged by modern day heroes in the form of the Justice Society.

HAWKMAN - With a suit constructed of gravity-defying Nth metal, Hawkman combines his physical prowess with a strong sense of morality. Instilling years of knowledge and experience into the younger members of the burgeoning Justice Society, the man known as Carter Hall fights to protect global stability–and he won't let anything or anyone, including Black Adam, stand in his way.

DOCTOR FATE - Upon wearing the ancient alien golden Helmet of Fate, Kent Nelson transforms from kindly academic into the sorcerer Doctor Fate. One of the founding members of The Justice Society, Doctor Fate is able to use his powers to wield magic, conjure illusions and see the future.

CYCLONE - After being subjected to nanotechnology experimentation by evil scientists, at just 19 Maxine Hunkel is a force of nature—literally—with the ability to control the wind with her mind. As the superhero Cyclone she brings a social justice attitude and a unique power set to The Justice Society.

ATOM SMASHER - As one of the newest recruits of The Justice Society, 20-year-old Al Rothstein can transform his molecular structure to grow in size to towering heights to become the superhero Atom Smasher. What he lacks in experience, Atom Smasher makes up for with brute force and an endless well of youthful optimism.

Black Adam is playing October 21st in theaters.