Black Adam movie casts ex-James Bond star as Dr. Fate

black adam
(Image credit: DC Comics/Dwayne Johnson/Boss Logic)

Black Adam, Warner Bros' upcoming movie on DC Comics' anti-hero, has found its final Justice Society of America member. 

Deadline has reported that former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan has been tapped to play Dr. Fate and, in the process, the British actor has rounded out the film's main cast before filming begins next month.

The news was later confirmed by Black Adam's main star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on Instagram. You can check out Johnson's announcement below:

Brosnan's Dr. Fate is joined on the Justice Society of America's roster by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). Sarah Shahi has also been cast as superhero Isis, but she isn't a Justice Society member.

There's currently no official release date for Black Adam due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film was supposed to land in theaters on December 22, 2021, with principal photography set to start in July 2020. However, production on the Shazam spin-off flick will only kick off in three weeks' time, so don't expect it to arrive in cinemas until sometime in 2022.

Black Adam: Who is Dr. Fate?

Dr. Fate – real name Kent Nelson – is a founding member of the Justice Society of America. There have been various iterations of the character in the comics, but Nelson is the original Dr. Fate. 

In the source material, Nelson discovers the tomb of the wizard Nabu during an expedition to the Valley of Ur. After Kent accidentally releases Nabu from suspended animation, he inadvertently kills his father when Nabu's reawakening releases a toxic gas. Taking pity on the boy, Nabu teaches him the ways of the sorcerer over the next two decades. Once his training is complete, Nabu gifts Kent a magical helmet, amulet, and cloak. It's the helmet that is the true source of Dr. Fate's powers, but he has many superpowered abilities that will be key to taking on Black Adam in the movie adaptation.

Dr. Fate's powers include spellcasting, flight, superhuman strength, healing, telekinesis and teleportation. The superhero has other abilities, but it's unclear just how many Brosnan's iteration will have. Black Adam is an extremely powerful being, so Dr. Fate and his fellow Justice Society members will need all of the powers they can muster. However, it's unlikely that Warner Bros will utilize all of Dr. Fate's abilities in the film, otherwise he'd potentially be able to take on Black Adam alone, thus negating the appearance of the other Justice Society members.

Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

Read more
Thaddeus Ross and Sam Wilson stare at each other in a room in the White House in Captain America: Brave New World
Captain America: Brave New World cast and character guide: who's playing who in the Marvel Phase 5 movie?
Rick Flag Sr and Amanda Waller walking down a hall in Creature Commandos episode 1
Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo reveals why Rick Flag Sr will be 'on a mission' for justice in James Gunn's Superman movie and Peacemaker season 2
A collage image of Eddie Marsan and Jamie Campbell Bower posing at different read carpet events
The Rings of Power season 3 adds Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower and Heartstopper's Eddie Marsan to its cast, and I think they're perfect for two specific roles
A screenshot of David Corenswet's Man of Steel suiting up in a Metropolis apartment while a pink lazer is fired in the background in 2025's Superman film
James Gunn's Superman movie: release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news on the first DCU Chapter One film
A collage image of David Corenswet's Superman, Milly Alcock's Supergirl, and Robert Pattinson's Batman
James Gunn's DCU just got a major update – here are 6 key takeaways from the latest press event, including some big Batman news
Daniel Craig's James Bond looking emotional in No Time to Die
Amazon MGM Studios acquires the license to thrill as its gains full creative control of the entire James Bond franchise in landmark deal
Latest in Entertainment
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Irish boxer TJ Doheny receives an undercard bout, ahead of the WBO super welterweight world title fight in March, 2023
Ball vs Doheny live stream: how to watch the boxing from anywhere now, full undercard, start time, weigh-in results
Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match in February 2025
Liverpool vs Newcastle live stream: how to watch Carabao Cup final 2025 online, team news
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Lando Norris driving around a bend during practice for the 2025 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch this season’s first F1 race online from anywhere
A collage of Tom Holland's unmasked Spider-Man and Sadie Sink's Max in Stranger Things season 4
Marvel reportedly casts Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in Spider-Man 4, but I don't want her to tackle the roles she's rumored to play
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over