Black Adam Reportedly Eyeing Marwan Kenzari to Play Sabbac

Black Adam remains one of the most highly-anticipated films on DC’s live-action roster, and fans have been incredibly eager to see who will join Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the big-screen adventure. The film’s cast has gradually begun to take shape, including with confirmation that the film will include members of the Justice Society of America. One question looming over the film has been which DC character is going to be its villain, especially if the titular character is portrayed as more of an antihero. According to a new report from The Illuminerdi, we might have our answer — as well as who the studio could be eyeing for the role. On Wednesday, they reported that the film is expected to feature Ishmael Gregor/Sabbac, and that Aladdin and The Old Guard star Marwan Kenzari is being eyed to play the role. While the report specifies that Kenzari isn’t completely confirmed for the role, this does provide a bit of an indication of who could potentially play the character.

Sabbac has been part of what is now the Shazam! Family lore since the 1940s, when he made his debut in Fawcett Comics as an enemy of Freddy Freeman/Captain Marvel Jr. The character, who has superhuman abilities and the ability to emit fire from his mouth and hands, has been reintroduced multiple times across the DC canon, each time proving to be a more formidable foe. The Ishmael Gregor version of the character was introduced in Outsiders #8 in 2004, and created by Judd Winick and Tom Raney. A Russian immigrant who became a New York City mob boss, Gregor tracks down the original host of Sabbac and kills him to gain his powers, using them to unleash demons upon the world. As his comic tenure goes along, Gregor becomes the leader of the Las Vegas mafia, and ultimately joins forces with the Fearsome Five and the Secret Society of Super-Villains.

Given his decades worth of canon in the comics – and his loose ties to Black Adam, particularly in the New 52 reboot – Sabbac is definitely a fitting foe to include in the Black Adam movie. Not only would his appearance further tie in elements of the Shazam! canon, but it would provide a pretty formidable threat for Black Adam and the JSA to face off against. It would also provide an outlet to properly bring the character into live-action, after Gregor was portrayed as a generic Russian mobster on Season 5 of Arrow.

If Kenzari is ultimately cast as Sabbac, he would join Johnson as Black Adam, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, and Sarah Shahi, who is believed to be playing Adrianna Tomaz/Isis.

What do you think of these new Black Adam details? Do you want to see Kenzari play Sabbac in the movie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!