Now that DC has hit big with Shazam!, Dwayne Johnson has given DC fans more news to be excited about by saying he plans to begin shooting his long-gestating Black Adam film “in about a year.”

Johnson, who produced Shazam! with his Seven Bucks Productions partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia as well as Geoff Johns, took to Instagram to thank his fans for making the film successful worldwide. He also gave fans an update regarding the Black Adam movie, which has been planned for some time. Shazam itself had been in development since 2008 and The Rock would either play Shazam or appear in it as Black Adam. In his view, the problem has been trying to tell both Black Adam and Shazam’s origins at the same time.

“We took a risk and that risk is, as we were developing this a few years ago, the challenges and the struggles that we were having and that was gnawing at my gut is that we were trying to tell two origin stories in one script,” said Johnson. “So for those who know the comic books and the mythology of the comics of Shazam! knows that Shazam is connected to Black Adam. Black Adam is an antihero or villain who I cannot wait to play. I’ve been developing this and it’s been with me in my DNA for over 10 years now.”

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Johnson’s issues with developing the origin stories led him to ask Warner Bros. to split the two stories into two different films, leading us to where we are now with a successful Shazam! origin film. “I didn’t think it was working. Finally, I called up Warner Bros. [and] Toby Emmerich, my good buddy who runs Warner Bros., and I said, ‘Brother, we have to split these stories and make two different movies.’ He said, ‘You know what, it is a great idea and let’s do it,’ so we rolled the dice.”

He said he felt it was right to split the origin stories up “out of respect,” adding, “Those who know the mythology and the backstory of Black Adam and Shazam you know they are vastly different backstories. Again, we rolled the dice, here we are, and it’s a big success.”

Johnson’s time as Black Adam, then, is just around the corner, and Johnson said he “can’t wait” to jump into the role. “They’re all getting their asses kicked when I play Black Adam,” he said. “That day of reckoning is coming for everyone.”

Back 2014, when it was learned that Johnson would either be Shazam or Black Adam, the speculation put to rest when he revealed he would play Shazam’s nemesis, who also happens to be one of Johnson’s favorite comic book characters. When he was promoting Hercules in Mexico City, Johnson said: “I am putting my heart and soul and my bones into this role.”

Johnson is also slated to star as another character from pop culture, Black folk hero John Henry. Johnson will also produce the Netflix film with Jumanji director Jake Kasdan and his Seven Bucks partners.

READ MORE:

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