The cast of Black Adam has begun to take shape, and it looks like a fan-favorite character will be a part of that. Today, it was confirmed via The Hollywood Reporter that Quintessa Swindell will be portraying Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone in the upcoming live-action film. Swindell, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, is best known for their starring role in Netflix’s Trinkets, alongside Deadpool‘s Brianna Hildebrand and The Flash‘s Kiana Madeira. Swindell has also appeared in an episode of HBO’s Euphoria, and the upcoming movie Voyagers. They will join a cast that will include Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw) as Black Adam, as well as Aldis Hodge (Underground, The Invisible Man) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I Love Before, Charlie’s Angels) as Atom Smasher, and Sarah Shahi (Person of Interest, The L Word), who is rumored to be playing Adrianna Tomaz.
Maxine is the granddaughter of Ma Hunkel, who was the first Red Tornado and an unofficial member of the Justice Society. After being kidnapped and experimented on as a kid, Maxine realizes as a young adult that she has the ability to manipulate wind and sound waves, which ultimately gets her recruited into the JSA.
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Black Adam will mark Cyclone’s first debut into another medium. The Hunkel family as a whole has been underrepresented in DC’s live-action outputs, outside of Ma Hunkel briefly appearing in Smallville, and her helmet appearing in the background of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Rumors prior to DC FanDome suggested that Warner Bros. was seeking a biracial or non-white actress to portray Cyclone.
Cyclone is expected to serve as a member of the Justice Society of America, alongside Hawkman, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate. The team has been a part of DC Comics since the Golden Age, and rumors have suggested that the team could get its own spinoff in the event of Black Adam‘s success.
“Like most kids growing up, I dreamed about being a superhero,” Johnson previously said. “As a kid, Superman was the hero I always wanted to be. But, a few years into my fantasy, I realized that Superman was the hero, I could never be. I was too rebellious. Too rambunctious. Too resistant to convention and authority.”
“Despite my troubles, I was still a good kid with a good heart – I just liked to do things my way. Now, years later as a man, with the same DNA I had as a kid – my superhero dreams have come true. I’m honored to join the iconic #DCUniverse and it’s a true pleasure to become, BLACK ADAM. BLACK ADAM is blessed by magic with the powers equal to SUPERMAN, but the difference is he doesn’t toe the mark or walk the line. He’s a rebellious, one of a kind superhero, who’ll always do what’s right for the people – but he does it his way. Truth and justice – the BLACK ADAM way.”
Are you excited to see Cyclone appear in Black Adam? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
