Leafs fan Dwayne Johnson on ‘Black Adam’ surprise and his 15-year journey to bring DC hero to the screen

Article content

For months, Dwayne Johnson has been teasing that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change with the release of Black Adam later this month.

Article content

So when the Sun caught up with the actor at the Canadian premiere of the DC superhero epic Thursday night, the star had one question: “What did you think about the end?”

Article content

When I tell him I loved it, enthusiastically erupting in laughter, Johnson quipped, “That’s a good response.”

Article content

The conclusion of the upcoming film sets up potential storytelling opportunities in an interconnected cinematic universe that also includes Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Superman. But the soon-to-be-talked about final scene of Black Adam wasn’t a slam dunk.

“There were a lot of phone calls — and a lot of face-to-face meetings — to get that across the finish line, as one can imagine. I can talk to you about how passionate we are about this and why we feel this serves not only Black Adam but the larger DC Universe, but more important than that, it takes care of the fans,” Johnson said.

Also at the Toronto premiere, in an interview with the Sun, producer Hiram Garcia spoke about the challenges of bringing one of DC’s most revered characters back to the big screen in Black Adam.

Article content

“Everything attached to this movie, including that moment, has been a dream,” Garcia said. “It was a lot of work. We would not take no for an answer. We knew what the fans wanted and we knew what we wanted and we know what that character means to the world. To bring that character back to the DC Universe is a dream come true.”

In Black Adam, Johnson, 50, stars as the titular antihero who first debuted in 1945 as the sworn enemy of Shazam after he too was gifted with extraordinary powers. In the ensuing decades, the character has evolved, at times being a supervillain and at others playing the role of hero.

The DC film finds Black Adam released into the modern age after 5,000 years of imprisonment where he immediately begins to deal out his own brand of justice. It’s a vengeful path that puts him at odds with the Justice Society of America — which is made up of Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).

Article content

It’s a role Johnson was born to play, but also one that he had to relentlessly push for over a decade to realize on the big screen.

“It was a 15-year long process, fighting, then we’d step away,” Johnson reminisced on the red carpet. “Fifteen years, and we were talking about this last night, when you look at the leadership that was in place at Warner Bros., there was so much turn over. But we had always been there, fighting consistently.”

He didn’t give up on his dream because he felt that a Black Adam movie could deliver something different for the fans.

“I truly believed in my heart that if we did the movie the right way we could not only introduce Black Adam to the world, but we could introduce five new characters — five new superheroes in one movie where a lot of people around the world could see themselves.”

Article content

Johnson has had a lifelong love for the DC Universe that stretches back to his childhood. But it was when he read his first Black Adam comic that he saw a hero that he automatically related to.

“When I was a little kid, the first time I saw Black Adam, I thought, ‘That dude looks cool. He’s badass and he’s got an aggressive looking face, but I think he’s a superhero. And he’s got brown skin. That was it. I wanted to be that guy.”

He thinks the finished product will be an inspiration to young children.

“There’s a lot of little boys out there who are black and brown who will see themselves in Black Adam. I also think all colours of kids are going to see themselves in Black Adam and all our characters, so that’s why I held onto this thing. Fifteen years.”

Article content

So after a career in which he had to scratch and claw his way to the top as one of the biggest movie stars in the world, what would he say to the younger version of himself who fought so passionately for Black Adam.

“It might make me emotional if I think about that too much,” Johnson replied, joking that he needed another drink. “He’d be shocked because it just seems like this was an impossibility. To be here talking to you and being fortunate enough to have this kind of life. A good friend of mine always likes to say that I outpaced the stats. For me statistically, I didn’t think this was in my cards. So if I could go back and talk to that young Dwayne, I’d put my arm around him and tell him, ‘It’s all good, man. Let me show you what we’re going to do one day.’”

Article content

Later that night, Johnson headed to the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener where he led the crowd in a “Let’s Go Leafs” chant instead of the usual “Go Leafs Go” chorus that echoes throughout Scotiabank Arena.

Article content

On social media, fans theorized that the new battle cry could help the Buds exorcise their playoff demons.

“I just heard The Rock say, ‘Let’s Go Leafs.’ Folks, that means it’s the Cup year,” one person wrote, with another adding, “A crowd that grew up on ‘Go Leafs Go’ all unanimously were like, ‘Well, if Dwayne The Rock Johnson says it’s Let’s Go Leafs now, that’s what it is.”

Article content

Another fan noted the team’s perfect record since the new slogan. “The Leafs are undefeated ever since the Rock chanted ‘Let’s Go Leafs’ instead of ‘Go Leafs Go.’ Coincidence? I think not.”

After the game, Leafs forward Auston Matthews said Johnson’s mid-game appearance came as a surprise to players.

Article content

“I didn’t (know he’d be here). It was a TV timeout, kind of minding my own business and I look up and The Rock comes flying out of nowhere. He got the building going pretty good. It’s pretty cool to see a guy like that come by and obviously get the crowd going. It was pretty sweet.”

Black Adam opens in theatres Oct. 21.

[email protected]