The first reactions to the DC outing, Black Adam, are now in. Action star Dwayne Johnson has been working on bringing Black Adam to the big screen since as far back as 2007. So, has the debut of the antihero been worth the wait? Let’s find out.

Well, thankfully, it sounds like our patience may have paid off, with these early reactions heaping praise on Johnson’s Black Adam and the sheer level of comic book movie action on display. “Tons of action, characters you’re instantly invested in & terrific pacing,” says one viewer, with another adding that “When it moves, it’s a straight shot of adrenaline.”

The praise continues, with one audience member declaring that Black Adam “did not disappoint” with the ending leaving them “with high hopes for the future of the DCEU.” Based on the ongoing rumors of what that ending will be, this should have DC fans even more excited.
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Sadly, it can’t all be positive, with one reaction criticizing Black Adam for its lack of emotional depth, lack of stakes, and lack of decent action sequences.

Despite this, it seems that the vast majority of early reactions to Black Adam have applauded the DC outing for its commitment to unashamed comic book movie action, as well as its pitch-perfect introduction of the character.

Black Adam will, at last, introduce Johnson as the titular character. After nearly five thousand years of imprisonment, Black Adam, an antihero from the ancient city of Kahndaq, is unleashed into modern times. His brute tactics and way of justice attract the attention of the Justice Society of America, who tries to stop his rampage, teach him how to be a hero more than a villain, and must team up to stop a force more powerful than Adam himself.

The Rock Hopes to Expand the DC Universe with Black Adam

Warner Bros. 

Dwayne Johnson has big plans for Black Adam, with the actor hoping to build the DC universe off the broad back of the DC antihero. “The goal is really to expand the universe, and introduce new characters, and spin-offs, and be really strategic about the plan,” Johnson said earlier this year. “We have a few ideas of what characters people are really going to respond to in Black Adam, and so we’re already thinking ahead to: ‘Let’s start thinking about that movie, and what that movie looks like for them.'”

While we wait and see how successful Black Adam is, and thus whether Johnson’s hopes will be realized, the actor has stated that he is “100% committed to not only Black Adam but then expanding the Black Adam universe, the DC universe. I am an optimist from the word, ‘Go.’ So, to me and to all of us up here, all universes exist in our heads. I will, we all will, work very hard to make sure we are honoring the mythology but also giving the fans what they want.”

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Bodhi Sabongui, and Pierce Brosnan, Black Adam is scheduled to be released on October 21, 2022, by Warner Bros. Pictures.