Last October, fans of Dwayne Johnson and DC Comics were left disappointed when the news broke that the upcoming film Black Adam had been removed from the release calendar, and while the film still doesn't have an actual date set up that hasn't stopped the production from keeping the wheels turning. Over the last few months the project has been busy adding key co-stars to join its titular lead in the film, and now another kick-ass player has joined the ensemble, as The Old Guard's Marwan Kenzari has been added to the cast.
The Hollywood Reporter has run the scoop on the casting news, noting that Kenzari has joined an ensemble that includes Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge and Quintessa Swindell, but sadly there isn't much information offered beyond that. While we know the identity of the characters most of the actors are playing in Black Adam, the role that is set to be played by the new addition is being kept under wraps for now.
Certainly not spilling any beans on the subject is Dwayne Johnson, who confirmed the casting personally on his Twitter account – throwing in some wonderful compliments aimed at his new co-star:
Set to be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Black Adam will serve as an origin story for its titular anti-hero, beginning in ancient Egypt when he went from being a slave to becoming a tyrannical ruler with awesome powers. Following his defeat he lays dormant for thousands of years, but when he emerges in the modern world the superhero team known as the Justice Society Of America team up to stop him. Noah Centineo was the first actor other than Dwayne Johnson to join the cast, and is set to play Al Rothstein a.k.a. Atom Smasher. Standing alongside him in the JSA lineup will be Aldis Hodge as Carter Hall a.k.a. Hawkman and Quintessa Swindell as Maxine Hunkell a.k.a. Cyclone.
While we don't know who Marwan Kenzari will be playing in Black Adam, he shouldn't have too hard a time adjusting to working on a blockbuster production, as he's had the opportunity to do that a couple times in the last few years. As mentioned above, last summer audiences got to see him performing in some crazy action sequences as one of the immortals in Gina Prince-Bythewood's The Old Guard, and prior to that he earned a lot of attention for playing the villainous Jafar in Guy Ritchie's live-action remake of Aladdin, and one of the suspects in Kenneth Branagh's Murder On The Orient Express. He is currently attached to star opposite Tessa Thompson in the upcoming thriller Balestra, but how that project will balance calendar-wise with his new DC Extended Universe project is currently unknown.
Sadly there is still no new date for fans to mark on their calendars, as Warner Bros. has not yet given Black Adam a firm position on their upcoming slate, but given what we now know about the production schedule it seems unlikely that it will be more than a couple years before we get to see the finished blockbuster. According to the new trade report, the new plan for the film is to have cameras start rolling in April, which means that the movie could be ready in time to follow the release of Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and be out before the end of 2023.
