Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra has discussed his approach to shifting Dwayne Johnson from comedic romantic lead in Disney's Jungle Cruise to that of the super-powered DC antihero, with the filmmaker turning to Clint Eastwood for inspiration. Likening Black Adam to Eastwood's iconic character Dirty Harry, Collet-Serra revealed that he really wanted The Rock to delve into his dark side.

"Having just done a romantic adventure comedy where he's very light, I was really attracted to getting the dark version of Dwayne. Basically, turning him into Clint Eastwood in a Western. I was like, 'You're like the Dirty Harry of superheroes.' I didn't have to convince people that I was right for this one in the same way that I did for Jungle Cruise. It's like things I've done with Liam [Neeson], that tough-guy antihero who has a heart. The world is not black and white. The world is in gray areas, so you need these people that are riding that gray area."

While more specific plot details remain a closely guarded secret, Black Adam will introduce Dwayne Johnson as Teth-Adam AKA Black Adam, a man from Kahndaq who was imprisoned for 5,000 years. Chosen by the wizard Shazam to harness the powers of the ancient Egyptian Gods, S for the stamina of Shu, H for the swiftness of Horus, A for the strength of Amon, Z for the wisdom of Zehuti, A for the power of Aten, and M for the courage of Mehen, Black Adam goes on to become the archenemy of the superhero Shazam and his super-powered family.

Having become well-known on the big screen as a more straightforward hero-type, seeing The Rock bring forth a "dark version" of himself is sure to be one of Black Adam's main draws, especially now that the character has been described as being the "Dirty Harry of superheroes." For those perhaps unaware, Clint Eastwood was San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector, "Dirty" Harry Callahan, who was notorious for his unorthodox, violent and ruthless methods against the criminals and killers he is assigned to apprehend, elements of which should be thrilling to see carried out by an all-powerful super-being the size of The Rock.

Black Adam is expected to act as an origin story for the character, with Johnson having previously confirmed that the movie will also introduce the Justice Society of America, or JSA. Set to be made up of Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, the JSA are no doubt just some of the characters who will face the wrath of Black Adam's Dirty Harry inspired antics.

Before any of that, audiences will first be treated to Dwayne Johnson the swashbuckling adventurer in Jungle Cruise. Starring alongside Emily Blunt, Jungle Cruise is based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name and finds the pair on a mission into a jungle to find the Tree of Life. Jungle Cruise is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 30, 2021, simultaneously in theaters and through Disney+ with Premier Access.

Black Adam meanwhile is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 29, 2022. This comes to us courtesy of Variety.