Even though Black Adam has been temporarily removed from the extensive DC Extended Universe release schedule for the moment, the film's cast is starting to fill out nicely with some excellent acting talent. Already starring alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are accomplished Hollywod stars such as Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, and the very newly-added Sarah Shahi .
Set to be the first ever live-action adaptation of the DC Comics anti-hero , Black Adam is assuredly going to tackle not only some interesting storylines from the comic pages, but also put the title character up against some incredibly powerful foes and challenges that lie ahead of him. Some new information has just arrived detailing a major foe that DC Films wants to include in this solo outing, along with an actor being eyed to play that role...
NEWS
A brand new exclusive from The Illuminerdi has revealed that Warner Bros. and DC Films are searching for a male actor in the 40-year-old range to play a supporting villainous role named Ishmael Gregor in the DCEU's Black Adam . There is interest from the studio in Tunisian-Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari to take on this role, although nothing has been confirmed, and another actor could very well end up taking on this mysterious role.
WHAT THIS MEANS
No official word has been given on who exactly the big bad will be for Black Adam , although this casting call could potentially signal the inclusion of a little-used villain from the Shazam comics named Ishmael Gregor, who turns into the supervillain Sabbac. He works as a Russian mob boss who steals the powers of Sabbac and becomes a powerful demon with powers similar to Shazam's, with the extra ability to breathe fire and emit a foul, odorous stench. This demonic transformation occurs in a nearly identical fashion to how Shazam turns into his super-self, though by saying the word "Sabbac," - an acronym for Satan, Aym, Belial, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Crateis.
Sabbac doesn't have any direct connection to Black Adam in the comics, although he does tie in with the Freddy Freeman version of Shazam, which could be explored more through the plot of Shazam!: Fury of the Gods . It's still unclear how deeply Black Adam will connect with the Shazam! movies, but the foundations seem to be taking shape should DC decide to go down that route.
Regarding Marwan Kenzari, there is currently no more than interest in his addition to the movie, although he is no stranger to major blockbuster roles. His biggest appearance to date came in last year's live-action reboot of Disney's Aladdin , where he played the classic villain Jafar, and he has also taken roles in projects like The Mummy and The Old Guard . It will likely still be some time until any official talks take place between the two parties, but the studio clearly has an eye on Kenzari as a potential new addition to the cast.
Black Adam is set to begin production in early 2021 , but it is currently not on the release schedule for Warner Bros. and DC Films.
