The Black Adam production will reportedly be delayed until 2021. More and more Hollywood productions are beginning to explore safe ways of starting up again, even as cases continue to surge in the United States. Dwayne Johnson first confirmed he was set to play the main character back in 2014, and fans have been waiting since then to see the actor take on the role. However, Johnson’s previous engagements need to be taken care of before work on Black Adam can begin.
Netflix is pushing to get their productions back on track after having to halt back in March. One of those projects the streaming service is eager to finish up is Red Notice, which stars Dwayne Johnson. According to sources, Netflix is trying to accelerate the process, meaning that a return to the set in the fall is not out of the question. Once finished, Johnson will be able to move on to Black Adam, but that more than likely will not be until the beginning of 2021 at the earliest, according to sources.
While Black Adam is slowing down, that doesn’t mean that development has stopped. The studio is still working hard to make sure everything is just right when the production is able to start up. It was just announced that Noah Centineo has been cast as Atom Smasher in the upcoming movie, which is pretty huge for hardcore DC Comics readers, as the character is pretty obscure. Black Adam and Atom Smasher have been friendly in the comics, but it’s unclear where their relationship will stand on the big screen, though one has to imagine it will start rocky with Adam’s tendency to play off of both sides.
Black Adam is still scheduled to open in theaters in December 2021. If all goes according to plan, the movie could still make its release date, depending on how efficient the cast and crew are. However, things seem to change on a daily basis, so it would not be at all surprising to see the movie get pushed back to 2022. Regardless, as always, Dwayne Johnson is ready to get back to work, and would like to do so in Atlanta, which is where he lives. Marvel Studios and a lot of other studios like working in Georgia, though that might be tough since cases in the state are currently surging.
Warner Bros. will have to carefully monitor their productions. Matt Reeves’ The Batman is expected to return to the U.K. to restart production, though it will be doing so from within a studio, as opposed to out in the open and on location like they did earlier this year. From there, the studio will likely be able to better assess how a production like Black Adam can start up in the United States. It’s going to be tricky, but even Hollywood has to get used to the new normal. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to reveal a possible Black Adam production delay.
