Dwayne Johnson just made his San Diego Comic-Con debut on Saturday, appearing alongside fellow DC Universe actor Zachary Levi as the two presented their upcoming films, Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, respectively. The actor was greeted with a rapturous applause as he took the stage in costume in Hall H during the third day of the 2022 in-person event.
And, luckily for fans, Johnson didn’t come empty handed. One month after the film debuted its first trailer, the actor revealed new footage of Black Adam, which debuts in theaters on Oct. 21. Johnson, and co-stars Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo and Quintessa Swindell revealed on stage that the film had finally locked its final cut, just the night prior.
"I can't wait for you to see this movie," Johnson raved before debuting the exclusive footage, which revealed a cameo from Viola Davis, reprising her role as DC boss Amanda Waller. "To be here at Hall H is truly a dream come true."
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani, the film will show what happens when the antihero is finally released after 5,000 years of being entombed as he unleashes his own form of justice upon the modern world. Black Adam also stars Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Bodhi Sabongui, and Pierce Brosnan.
During the panel, Johnson spoke enthusiastically about his superhero debut as the titular character and future archenemy of Shazam (Levi) -- sharing how he hopes to "usher in a new era of the DC universe."
"The journey for Black Adam has been a long journey," Johnson noted as he took the SDCC stage. "It has easily been over 10 years… [but it] has been an incredible one."
Hodge, Centineo and Swindell also expressed how excited they were to join the project, with Hodge -- who stars as Carter Hall, aka Hawkman -- calling the role "an amazing gift."
"I am a fan and I grew up on this, so I take this on as a humble responsibility," he admitted. "This is such an honor and a privilege and a lifelong dream."
Swindell teared up as she talked about getting the part of Maxine Hunkel, aka Cyclone. "Playing Cyclone, to be honest, is the biggest honor of my life so far," she shared. "This character, she's so unique… and I'm very protective of her."
Levi also joked about the impending dynamic between canonical comic foes Shazam and Black Adam, who fans hope will face off in a future installment in the DC Universe film franchise.
When asked who might win in a fight between "The Rock" and Shazam, Levi quipped, "Dwayne's a very large man, but Shazam is a God, so..." However, when asked if Shazam could take on Black Adam? "Next question!"
Shazam! Fury of the Gods, meanwhile, hits theaters on Dec. 21. And fans eager to see more of the upcoming film were treated with a brand-new trailer, with Levi sharing that the sequel picks up a few years after the first movie, though the team are still learning how to handle their powers and responsibilities as heroes
A sequel to Levi’s 2019 debut as Shazam, Fury of the Gods follows the titular hero as he takes on the villainous Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu), daughters of the Greek titan Atlas. Written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan and directed by David F. Sandberg, the new installment in the Shazam series also stars Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou and Rachel Zegler.
Liu (wielding her own staff!), Grazer, and Angel later joined Levi on the panel to preview the upcoming film, with Grazer sharing that his character is "leading a teenage life the best he can, while also hiding his superpowers."
Meanwhile, Liu said she had a blast playing a superpowered baddie, noting, "We had a great time, and by we, I mean me and my sisters Rachel and Helen."
"I really enjoyed playing a goddess," she continued. "To be part of the DC universe and this world is probably the most exciting thing of my career... It was an honor to be apart of something this special… I feel like I'm in a place where I'm home."
Mirren and Zegler joined the panel via a video message, with Mirren joking that she was banned from Comic-Con for starting a fight. But she had no problems "kicking the sh*t" out of Levi as her "badass" Fury of the Gods character, she joked.
See below for more of Entertainment Tonight’s ongoing coverage of Comic-Con 2022, including the daily schedule and biggest highlights of the weekend:
