Say what you will about Black Adam – and there’s been much said about it – it did bring two of the best representations of DC characters to live-action: Aldis Hodge‘s Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan‘s Dr. Fate. Brosnan recently stoked the hopes of fans with comments suggesting that his Dr. Fate would be appearing in the DCU, saying, “I’ve heard that Doctor Fate was going to have his own show, or his own movie. I’ve heard that he’s going to be in the next Superman.” That news sat with DC fans, excited by the prospect, for all of 24 hours before James Gunn debunked the rumor on Threads, saying, “My opinion is I’ve never heard a Dr Fate rumor!” Now, it’s entirely possible that Gunn is doing a little damage control for his upcoming Man of Tomorrow, but it doesn’t sound promising. The thing is, though, that maybe it should not only sound promising, it should sound confirmed, because Gunn absolutely should find space for Brosnan’s Dr Fate in his DCU.
Pierce Brosnan’s Dr. Fate Was the Best Thing About ‘Black Adam,’ but Underutilized
It’s no secret that Black Adam was engineered by Dwayne Johnson as a starring vehicle for himself and a power play to restructure the hierarchy of the DCEU under his watch. It’s also no secret that, despite his attempts at spinning it as a hit –the proverbial “putting lipstick on a pig” – the film failed. It didn’t achieve the box-office success anticipated, and placed himself and Henry Cavill, who appeared in the end credits scene as the DCEU’s Superman, in awkward positions, with Johnson’s plans for the DCEU stymied and Cavill not in Gunn and Peter Safran‘s plans for their DCU.
The true tragedy of Black Adam wasn’t what happened to Johnson or Cavill, but rather Brosnan, whose Dr. Fate is largely credited with being one of the best parts of the film. In Collider’s review of the film, Brosnan’s Dr. Fate is cited as “the most exciting addition” to the film’s Justice Society of America, adding that he steals every scene he’s part of with effortless charisma. But he was underutilized, with limited screentime and a script that didn’t deliver much in the way of character development.
The fact that Brosnan was still able to infuse Dr. Fate and his alter-ego Kent Nelson with the wisdom, calmness, and inspiration that come with having been in the hero game for decades is a testament to just how good he is in the film. It’s something that would have made the film stronger had he been used more effectively, or, at the very least, would have left the door open for an opportunity to see the character in his own feature. Except, in what is probably the most questionable decision in a film filled with them, that door is slammed shut with Dr. Fate sacrificing himself to prevent Hawkman’s death.
James Gunn Should Open the Door and Welcome Pierce Brosnan Into the DCU as Dr. Fate
Of course, a superhero’s death is always the final word, but for kicks and giggles, let’s assume that Dr. Fate, a master of sorcery, is reincarnated. I know, that’s crazy talk, but bear with me. With Brosnan in the DCU, it would bring the franchise an esteemed actor who has already proven he has delivered the definitive portrayal of the character. It may be a short list, granted, but the right actor in the right role can absolutely set the bar from the start, i.e., Christopher Reeve as Superman, whose portrayal still tops the list decades later. And while Gunn has largely been partial to casting up-and-coming actors in key roles, having a known name among them certainly can’t hurt. Besides, it’s something he’s already done with the upcoming Lanterns, with Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, and in Superman with another Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, played by Nathan Fillion, so it’s certainly not unprecedented.
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It would also be a great way to further bridge the DCU with the non-start that was Black Adam, allowing for characters that it introduced to be utilized. Gunn’s canon vs. non-canon is fluid, and Peacemaker’s Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) appearance in Black Adam has already opened the door a crack. She, along with Djimon Hounsou as the wizard Shazam, also bridges Black Adam with the Shazam! franchise (but, strangely, not Zachary Levi‘s Shazam, Black Adam’s long-storied nemesis), so the means to bring Dr. Fate into the DCU wouldn’t require much to make it work. The hardest thing about it is finding a way to resurrect the hero, which, let’s face it, is hardly a deal-breaker.
But the best reason for Gunn to bring Brosnan’s Dr. Fate into the DCU is the fact that the character is right in Gunn’s wheelhouse. Gunn thrives on bringing in lesser-known characters into his DC and Marvel films, and Dr. Fate certainly falls into that category (it’s not like a lot of people saw Black Adam, am I right?). He was wonderfully creative with Ego’s (Kurt Russell) powers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, so being denied seeing what he could do with a mystical character like Dr. Fate, with an actor that can pull it off with charm and ease, is a borderline sin. And as much as he might think his Threads post ended things, the interest Brosnan’s statement generated can’t easily be put back in the box, and a filmmaker like Gunn, who has his ear to the zeitgeist arguably more than any other, can’t ignore it altogether. It could be that Brosnan’s statement about joining the DCU isn’t random, but karma. Or, in other words, fate.
Black Adam is available to watch on HBO Max in the U.S.
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Release Date
October 21, 2022
Runtime
125 Minutes
Writers
Bill Parker, C.C. Beck, Jerry Siegel, Jack Kirby, Joe Shuster, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani, Adam Sztykiel