With a host of fresh stars, Warner Bros.’s Black Adam, inspired by Arab mythology, sets up a brave new world for the DC Extended Universe
Something special happened on the set of DC’s latest blockbuster Black Adam. We can feel it emanating off each cast member, even as they struggle to articulate it. It’s not that they don’t have the words—they do—they just know we won’t believe them until we see it on screen.
“The whole cast—like sincerely, no bullsh*t—we all are like family. It’s still happening, and it’s genuinely crazy,” Palestinian actor Mo Amer, who co-stars as Karim hot off his Netflix hit ‘Mo’, tells Esquire Middle East.
“I’m filming a movie right now in LA, and Noah Centineo called me last night and said ‘bro, I’m picking you up tomorrow and driving you to set.’ I said, bro, you realize I have to go at 5:00 in the morning right? You do not have to do this. I set up a car just in case, but then my doorbell rang at 5:00, and there he was with coffee in hand just because we actually care about each other. It’s that kind of vibe, man,” Amer continues.
It’s a vibe that fits the theme. While the supervillain-turned-anti-hero Black Adam, a character inspired by Arab mythology, may get title billing, this is the film that finally introduces the Justice Society of America, a superhero team that predates the Justice League in the comics and features a diverse array of ‘Golden Age’ characters and their descendants, making it truly the DC Universe’s most familial affair.
The ensemble cast features a murderer’s row talent turned first-time superheroes, the aforementioned Centineo playing Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Bond himself Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Black Adam.
Amer is a comedian by trade and while he does bring the funny—”Mo’s read for Karim had us laughing immediately”, producer Hiram Garcia tells us—this is far from the light comedy of Shazam.
“This film has teeth, though it is a fantastic, marvelous, extraordinary superhero film. I’ve been told is has the highest body count of any superhero film so far. That may be not be a great thing, but that’s the idea. We question morality with this film, but we never side with either opinion. We leave it open ended,” Centineo tells us.
While the film may get dark, setting up a whole new future for a post-Snyderverse DC with an array of potential leads for future franchises, that’s ultimately not what the cast wants to talk about. Mostly, they all seemed to love hanging out with Mo Amer.
“Mo would be like staying up 24 hours to cook us a brisket. He was my brother. I adored this man. He bought a motorcycle, so I bought a motorcycle, you know?” says Swindell.
Black Adam is in cinemas across the Middle East on October 20