For almost 20 years, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been starring in movies, and with his hugely-successful career he’s broken some serious barriers for leading men. In Hobbs & Shaw he’ll do it again when the Fast & Furious characters journey to Samoa and take part in an epic showdown alongside his “Samoan brothers” there.
At the Hobbs & Shaw Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, the action star was asked about the growing representation and inclusion on the big screen. Here’s what he told Variety:
I think they’re doing great. I think, obviously, Marvel has done a tremendous job in building out. And also for me, DC, we’re doing Black Adam with Warner Bros. and DC. I think as everything builds and grows and you take the temperament of society and what’s happening. I think here in Hollywood, especially with franchises and characters and publicly traded companies that are sensitive to that sort of thing, I think they’re doing a good job. Maybe one day we’ll see a Black Superman. You’re looking at him.
Big nods for Marvel. The studio has definitely placed a focus on diversity in recent years, with Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Marvel is also planning on introducing its first LGBT superhero and developing the first Chinese superhero, in Shang-Chi movie coming in Phase Four.
Dwayne Johnson will soon be joining the world of superhero blockbusters when he suits up for Black Adam for DC. The actor has been confirmed to take on the role for five years, but the project is finally moving forward with Rampage writer Adam Sztykiel onboard and Jaume Collett-Serra (The Shallows, Jungle Cruise) at the helm.
The Rock’s last quip about Black Superman is clearly a reference to the Hobbs & Shaw villian played by Idris Elba. The super-powered terrorist calls himself “Black Superman” in the movie. Johnson will miss his chance to play Superman since he’ll already be Black Adam, but the comic book character actually shares many of the same powers such as super strength, flight and durability.
Black Adam is actually more powerful than Superman because his powers come from magic (just like his arch-enemy Shazam)! Johnson said the Black Adam movie will start shooting in the first half of 2020. A release date has not yet been set for the film but considering the character’s connections with Shazam, it makes sense that strides are being made after the film’s on-screen debut.
Dwayne Johnson has been starred in blockbuster after blockbuster non-stop and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. After Hobbs & Shaw’s summer release, he’ll lead Jumanji: The Next Level alongside Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Danny DeVito and Danny Glover in December. The action-packed sequel follows the $962 million worldwide box office haul of 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
He’ll also star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise in summer 2020 with Emily Blunt and Netflix’s Red Notice with Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. Whew! The 47-year-old actor certainly doesn’t have trouble finding roles despite Hollywood’s typically “straight white guy” dominance!
