Why Pierce Brosnan Was Cast As Doctor Fate In Black Adam, According To Director Jaume Collet-Serra
In case you haven't been paying attention, "Black Adam" increasingly looks like it will make headlines in the DC Extended Universe, ideally for positive reasons, which would be a nice change. Through sheer force of will, Dwayne Johnson and director Jaume Collet-Serra have spearheaded the upcoming solo film for the villain/antihero, depending on how you look at him. Sure, he has a somewhat troubling penchant for trying to pick fights with kids ... or at least the grown-up version of one in the form of Shazam. But, as fans know, his rich and slightly reimagined backstory dating back to his enslavement in Kahndaq and his subsequent gifting of the powers of Shazam will help provide the foundation for the explosive conflicts and confrontations to come when faced with the threat of the Justice Society of America.
Leading that team will be none other than Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate, a casting decision that caught plenty of fans by surprise as the former James Bond will now play, essentially, DC's version of Doctor Strange. The relatively obscure comic book figure boasts plenty of powers of a supernatural nature, but one specific quality more than any other drew Collet-Serra to the famous actor for this particular role in the first place.
As it turns out, when cast alongside an ensemble that includes the likes of The Rock and his endless charisma, the immensely talented Aldis Hodge, heartthrob Noah Centineo, and even an appearance by Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, the key to casting Brosnan as Doctor Fate meant casting a legend to play a legend.
'He's one of the coolest people in the world'
There are movie stars, and then there are movie stars. Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of James Bond throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s squarely landed him in the latter category, and it has continued to play a tangible role in his career choices in the years since. The latest example of this will play out for all of us to see in "Black Adam." In a recent article over at Vanity Fair, director Jaume Collet-Serra described how the actor's larger-than-life presence made him a natural pick to play the role of Doctor Fate:
"You need a special actor to play, basically, a legend. Dr. Fate is a very powerful being, so you need someone like Pierce who can play powerful without it being overly done. He can do it in a very subtle way. I mean, he's one of the coolest people in the world — he was James Bond! But as a person, he's magnetic, so warm with such gravitas."
In an ironic twist on his action hero persona in the "Bond" films, Brosnan's much older, wiser, and more veteran character in the upcoming comic book movie will pose less of a physical threat to the rampaging Black Adam. Instead, Fate will attempt to get through to the dangerous superpowered being with reason and logic. The various trailers have already revealed Brosnan's take on Doctor Fate, striking an imposing presence and a welcome change of pace in a movie that otherwise looks to be filled with fisticuffs, gruesome deaths, and a general hard-edged approach. It's only fitting to use the biggest platform of them all to remind audiences of everything that Brosnan brings to a big-budget production.
"Black Adam" arrives in theaters on October 21, 2022.