'Black Adam' Cast Adds Quintessa Swindell As Cyclone
Black Adam has added a new cast member: Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone. Swindell joins Dwayne Johnson as titular anti-hero Black Adam, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, and Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing the pic, which is connected to Shazam!, but not exactly what you'd call a sequel. Instead, it's to set up an eventual confrontation between Black Adam and Shazam in a future film.
Not only will Black Adam be a movie about DC character Black Adam, but it'll also introduce the Justice Society – Hawkman, Cyclone, Atom Smasher, and Doctor Fate – a team of superheroes who unite to stop him. And now the film has found its Cyclone in Euphoria actress Quintessa Swindell, per Variety. In the comics, Cyclone is Maxine Hunkel, who has the power to "mentally summon cyclones and whirlwinds, project powerful bursts of air, and glide through the air on wind currents." She can also "create massive tornadoes, huge cyclones that react to the environment by themselves or bend to her will."
As for the rest of the Justice Society, Aldis Hodge is playing Hawkman and Noah Centineo is Atom Smasher, which leaves just one more part, Doctor Fate, up for grabs. There's an unconfirmed rumor floating around that the production is looking for a "Sam Rockwell-Type" to play that part. I have no idea if that's true, but if it is, might I suggest Sam Rockwell? Just a thought.
Johnson has been officially attached to play Black Adam since at least 2017 – but he's been involved with the project even longer. In 2007 Johnson was first mentioned as a potential Black Adam, and Johnson expressed interest in the part. In 2014, the actor once again expressed his hope to play the character. At one point, the idea was to have Johnson play Black Adam as the lead villain in Shazam!, as Black Adam is traditionally a Shazam! bad guy. Instead, the concept evolved and it was decided that Johnson's Black Adam should get his own standalone film first instead.
In the movie, Black Adam is a member of an ancient civilization chosen by the Council of Wizards – who also helped out Billy Batson in Shazam! – to become a hero and save his people. But when Black Adam's methods were considered to be too cruel and villainous, he was imprisoned by the council for 5000 years. Now, he's escaped, and it's up to the Justice Society to stop him. While Johnson has turned heel in his wrestling career he's rarely played a bad guy on the big screen, and the actor has said in the past that while Black Adam may evolve into more of an anti-hero, he's very much starting the film off as a villain. "Black Adam, how he starts, he starts off as a villain," Johnson told ComicBook. "Then, he becomes an anti-hero. And then he might become a hero or he might not."
As of now, Black Adam is expected to open on December 22, 2021, but that could change.