The defunct DC Extended Universe debuted a new supervillain/antihero in its 2022 film, Black Adam. Inspired by the same figure from Fawcett Comics, Black Adam’s debut aimed to alter the power dynamics inside the shared universe.
Undoubtedly, even individuals unfamiliar with the comic books observed his resemblance to another character from the DCEU.
Due to their analogous abilities, attire, and the shared magical incantation for transformation, it is evident that Black Adam and Shazam are interconnected. The comics establish a direct link between Black Adam and the original Captain Marvel, depicting them as formidable adversaries over several decades of publication history.
Regrettably, the films were deficient in this aspect, leading numerous casual viewers to doubt the connection between Black Adam and Shazam.
The repercussions of the 2022 film Black Adam continue to resonate, as the movie was intended to rejuvenate the now-defunct DC Extended Universe. Black Adam possesses a profound link to the Shazam mythos, serving as the antithesis of the original Captain Marvel.
A confrontation between Shazam and Black Adam did not occur in the DCEU, and it is uncertain whether the forthcoming DC Universe reboot will address this omission. When the characters appear, a relationship between Shazam and Black Adam is anticipated to be established.
What is the Connection Between Black Adam and Shazam?
Teth-Adam acquired his powers from the same council of wizards that previously contained the entity that would eventually be recognized as Shazam, as elucidated by Black Adam. Despite certain modifications, this plot point in the film reflects the character’s beginnings from the original material.
In the established continuity of DC Comics, Teth-Adam was selected by the wizard Shazam, who subsequently chose Billy Batson as his champion 5,000 years later. The comics originally depicted Teth-Adam succumbing to his strength and transforming into the supervillain Black Adam.
Observing the former champion’s use of his powers to intimidate the nation of Kahndaq, the wizard Shazam exiled him to another star (according to the traditional narrative).
In the film, Teth-Adam was not Shazam’s designated champion; rather, his son was selected and subsequently bestowed the power upon Teth-Adam for his protection. This renders the young man susceptible to an assassin’s arrow, resulting in his demise in his corporeal state.
Teth-Adam harnessed the wizards’ power for personal gain, avenging his family’s demise and subsequently being incarcerated for 5,000 years. In contrast to Billy Batson’s Shazam, Black Adam exhibits significantly greater brutality and violence, not limited to instances when he is unequivocally in the wrong.
Despite Black Adam’s transformation into an antihero and his affiliation with the Justice Society of America, he implemented his own brutal interpretations of justice. This places him in conflict with the Golden Age DC characters; nonetheless, he successfully influenced certain younger heroes, including Atom Smasher, to align with him.
The Power of Shazam Was Derived from Ancient Deities
The powers of Shazam/Captain Marvel are derived from various fabled heroes, namely Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. This is not the sole significant distinction between Black Adam and Shazam.
In contrast to Billy, Teth-Adam derived his powers from Egyptian deities, such as Shu, Heru, Amon, Zehuti, Aton, and Mehen. His quintessential origin narrative has him as an orphan in Fawcett City, who is guided to an abandoned train that transports him to the Rock of Eternity.
There, he encounters the wizard Shazam, who grants him the ability to become his champion by uttering his name. Previously, a similar circumstance befell the individual who became Black Adam, although Billy had a significantly purer heart.
The New 52 relaunch of the comics significantly modified old characters, presenting them in darker interpretations. The magician selected Billy—now a difficult foster child—because of the inherent kindness that the unruly lad was oblivious to within himself.
The DCEU Shazam films were based on this iteration of the character, who was simply renamed Shazam in the comics due to copyright concerns. This explains why the character on the screen resembles this more divergent version.
Black Adam is the antithesis of Billy Batson, whose alter ego is known as the “Big Red Cheese” because to his excessively heroic disposition. He is often portrayed in vintage comics as possessing greater optimism than Superman.
Consequently, while sharing the same emblem, same attire, and even possessing identical superhuman abilities, Black Adam and Shazam are distinct entities.
Is a Crossover Between Black Adam and Shazam Occurring in the DCEU?
The expected conflict between DCEU’s Black Adam and Shazam appears unlikely, despite initial signals from Dwayne Johnson. Johnson previously affirmed intentions for a crossover while promoting distinct origin narratives for each character, deviating from the first script that amalgamated their entrances.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s emphasis transitioned to a prospective conflict between Black Adam and Superman, diminishing the significance of the Shazam confrontation.
The likelihood of a showdown diminished considerably following the box office flops of Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam. Johnson allegedly obstructed links between the two films, including a post-credits scene in Black Adam featuring the Justice Society’s approach to Shazam.
As a result, Shazam! Fury of the Gods did not mention Black Adam, except for its post-credits teaser featuring the Justice Society.
The conclusive termination of this option is marked by James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot. Gunn’s forthcoming vision, commencing with a 2025 Superman film, abandons DCEU continuity. Both Johnson’s Black Adam and Zachary Levi’s Shazam are eliminated, indicating a new beginning.
This relaunch perhaps paves the way for a future confrontation between Black Adam and Shazam in the revamped DC Universe.
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