DC and Warner Bros. have finally unleashed the full trailer for Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson as the titular anti-hero. The trailer is everything we could expect, with Johnson mowing down his enemies while wearing the black and yellow suit that’s so iconic in the comic books. The trailer also introduces the Justice Society of America, a superhero team that predates the Justice League by a few decades.
While Black Adam introduces the anti-hero into DC’s live-action films, it also introduces several superheroes, such as Quintessa Swindell as Red Tornado, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. It’s no wonder there’s so much to unpack in Black Adam’s first trailer. But don't worry. We are here to break down the trailer frame by frame and discuss what it could all mean for the highly-anticipated film.
The trailer begins as a futuristic spaceship flies over a chain of snowy mountains. It’s curious to notice that Black Adam reportedly takes place in the past of the DC universe, long before the Justice League banded together. So, the futurist tech all over the trailer could come from an alien supplier. Most likely, the ship is Thanagarian, the same alien race as Hawkman. Considering how Hawkman is one of the main members of the Justice Society of America in the movie, it would make sense he supplied the team with the best Thanagarian tools he could find.
The ship’s arrival in the snowy mountains teases the resting place of Teth-Adam, the man who would become the fierce Black Adam. Teth-Adam was a slave in Ancient Egypt before he received his superpowers. In the movie, Teth-Adam remained trapped for centuries. So, when he finally breaks free, it’s easy to understand the interest of the JSA. It looks like, at first, the JSA will help the anti-hero recover and get back on his feet, and they even invite Black Adam to be a part of the team. Unfortunately, their alliance is bounded to be shattered once Black Adam reveals his murderous instincts.
While Black Adam rests inside a healing tank, we hear Brosnan's voice asking what Black Adam’s powers have ever given him. It doesn’t take long before we see a shot of Brosnan directly as Doctor Fate, one of the most powerful magic wielders in the entire DC universe. This version of Doctor Fate sounds like the hero has already seen too much in his lifetime, and Brosnan is the perfect choice to play a veteran hero trying to keep his team together while new meta-humans show up.
The trailer jumps to the distant past, revealing Teth-Adam's origin as a slave in Egypt. As the trailer reveals, Teth-Adam had a son in the DC film, who sacrificed his life to save his father. That kind of loss can devastate any person, and Teth-Adam will apparently use his pain to fuel his rage against the people he sees as evildoers. The trailer also indicates that Teth-Adam has a near-death experience, and only when he almost loses his life does he find his superpowers.
There are many explosive moments in the trailer showcasing Black Adams’ abilities, and these scenes help the audience understand just how powerful Billy Batson can become once he masters the power of Shazam. Just like Billy, Teth-Adam has the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury. Contrary to Billy Batson, Black Adam is a full-grown adult who had to fight for his life even before receiving superpowers. The upcoming film will showcase just how powerful a warrior who has been chosen by the wizard Shazam can truly become.
While Johnson’s Black Adam is the star of the show, the new trailer also finds time to showcase the glorious live-action versions of some of DC's most beloved characters. One particularly terrific shot focuses on Hawkman in his full Thanagarian armor, golden wings spread wide while he prepares for combat.
There's also a brief shot of Atom Smasher changing his size while running in the middle of a busy street, kicking cars out of his way as if they were toys. Atom Smasher's size transition is also really smooth, indicating the hero has full control over the size of his body even in the middle of vicious combat against an unknown threat.
The trailer also offers a glimpse of Brosnan in his full Doctor Fate costume. Created by Lord of Order Nabu, the Helmet of Fate gives its wear an almost unlimited supply of mystic energy. That means Brosnan will be able to shift reality to his will while wearing Nabu’s helmet. In the trailer, Doctor Fate can apparently change reality around him, similar to Marvel’s Doctor Strange entering the Mirror Dimension.
Black Adam’s latest trailer also anticipates the bloody battle between Teth-Adam and Hawkman. The two powerhouses face each other as if they are ready to jump down each other's throats while they discuss what it means to be a superhero. Hawkman is very clear when he says heroes don’t kill their enemies, a rule Teth-Adam is unwilling to follow. That’ll probably be the reason Black Adam ends up fighting the entire JSA, becoming the anti-hero he’s destined to be.
It’s not only the JSA that will try to take Black Adam down. In the trailer, the anti-hero wrecks military-grade airplanes as if they were made of paper. Besides showing just how powerful Black Adam really is, the scene teases that some military forces also see Teth-Adam as a threat, sending soldiers to try to stop the anti-hero.
The trailer ends with a scene where Black Adam holds a missile in his hand. The anti-hero is so fast that we can’t even follow his movements, and so resistant that even a missile cannot slow him down. In this scene, Teth-Adam is still wearing a cape so damaged by the passage of time that it looks like it belongs to a museum. Chances are this moment happens at the beginning of the movie, when Teth-Adam wakes from his long slumber and tries to figure out what is happening in the world.
It won’t be long until we witness Teth-Adam’s anti-hero origin story, since Black Adam is set to be released in theaters on October 21.