Why DC’s Hawkman Can Be A Major Hit in Live-Action Movies

This year has brought a lot of new and exciting announcements about the upcoming slate of DC movies (despite some equally disappointing announcements about how long it will now take those films to arrive). One of the most surprising things we got from the DC FanDome event (and the subsequent weeks following it) was a look at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam movie, and the Justice Society of America heroes that will be featured in it (Doctor Fate, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Hawkman). Hawkman is one DC hero who has struggled to find respect in live-action adaptation – but here’s why he can be a breakout star of DC Movies!

When it comes to Carter Hall/Hawkman, and we already know that Black Adam will adhere to the character’s earliest origin. That story sees archeologist Carter Hall discover his past life as an Egyptian prince and the love triangle that ended in the murder of him and his love. Carter discovers ancient mystical weapons in the form of a mace, armor, and winged harness made of mysterious “Nth Metal,” which allows him to become the hero Hawkman.

Actor Aldis Hodge (The Invisible Man) has been cast as Carter Hall/Hawkman, but more than any discussion over the casting of Hodge (or his bringing an African-American version of Carter Hall to the screen), the bigger discussion seems to be whether Hawkman can actually be made into a convincingly badass hero for live-action adaptation. The Black Adam concept art of Hawkman looked strong, but artwork and film are two very different mediums.

One DC fan artist has already created concept art of Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, and that art makes a convincing case for a live-action Hawkman looking pretty badass. While the wings and armor may look somewhat silly on the comic book page, with the right rendering, Nth Metal could actually look pretty dangerous and powerful, with the wing harness functioning as a powerful in battle, as well as a flight tool.

The man filling-out that armor (Alids Hodge) is also impressively intimidating: At over 6′ and with a strong athletic build (including abs!), Hodge has the stature of a true bruiser – actually the kind of physique DC fans want for a mace-swinging Hawkman.

With the right actor and a proper vision of Hawkman’s Nth Metal weapons all on the checklist, the final reason that Hawkman could be a major breakout star of Black Adam is his battle with the titular man himself: The Rock’s Black Adam. As DC fans know, Nth Metal is a pivotal element of the DC Universe, which has all kinds of important properties. One of the most important properties of Nth Metal is its disruption and/or negation of magical power.

That unique attribute makes Hawkman one of the best candidates for a full-on one-on-one fight with The Rock’s Black Adam – a sequence that could really wow DC moviegoers. Superman vs. General Zod in Man of Steel showed what a superpowered aerial battle could look like – same with Shazam’s battle with Sivana. However, Black Adam and Hawkman will be much more experienced warriors clashing, and the depiction of Hawkman’s intricate flight capabilities, and his Nth Metal weapons clashing with Black Adam, could easily be one of the best DC movie fights we get.

Once fans see Hawkman go toe-to-toe with The Rock, it’s easy to imagine he’ll join Jason Momoa’s Aquaman as an often-mocked DC superhero who finally gets his (much-due) respect as a badass.

DC’s Black Adam movie does not yet have a production start or release date at this time.