Dwayne Johnson on playing ‘relentlessly raging’ Black Adam, diving into the superhero genre and more

The Warner Bros. film is the actor's first-ever superhero flick.

Oct 19, 2022

After almost 25 years in the film industry, Dwayne Johnson is finally tackling one of the biggest genres in the industry: the superhero move. In “Black Adam,” the actor is the ancient and godly D.C. Comics antihero who finds himself thrust into the modern world.

TheGrio chatted with Johnson about his entry into the superhero film canon, why this character in particular was the one for him and what sets Black Adam apart from the rest of the characters in the D.C. Universe.

“This has been over 10 long years of pushing this thing forward,” Johnson said of the film’s journey. “Even though, if I could’ve made it 10 years ago I would have, I’m glad that for a multitude of reasons it didn’t happen because like in the movie, I believe in fate [and] when fate meets your action.”

Dwayne Johnson as the titular character in “Black Adam,” his first superhero role. (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

Johnson drew on a wealth of life experience for this part, too. “I was also able to bring many, many years of experience just as a guy, man, husband, father, etc. to the role. I also felt like, we got a shot with this guy, with Black Adam, if we do it right,” he explained. “Not only is he a cool character and he is relentlessly raging, but also when you look at his superhero characteristics and the superpowers that he has? I mean you get a guy that goes toe-to-toe with Superman? Which automatically is very appealing and interesting.”

Outside of thrilling fight sequences and dazzling special effects, “Black Adam” also boasts a lot of heart, especially in regard to the character’s moving (and tragic) history as an enslaved man. “That backstory has always intrigued me and has always moved me,” Johnson said. “You think about the psychology of a man who was a slave, his family [is] enslaved; they’re oppressed and his family is wiped away … he is blessed with powers that he doesn’t want. That convergence of emotion and psychology and complexity and rage — it bubbles up for something really interesting.”

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Continued Johnson, “[His backstory] as Black Adam, it informs how he utilizes all of these incredible superpowers. When he flies, he just doesn’t fly from Point A to Point B. He flies with a rage. And when he walks, he walks with a purpose. When he talks, he talks with intention that is very intense.”

“Black Adam” opens Friday in theaters.

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