Who is Black Adam, the DC supervillain Dwayne Johnson was 'born to play'?

Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has unveiled a snippet from his coming "passion project", a film on DC Comics supervillain Black Adam, which has been more than a decade in the making.

"I've worked these fingers to the bone. Because it's the kind of project that comes once in a lifetime," Johnson said on Saturday, appearing at DC FanDome, a virtual event to promote DC Comics' films and shows scheduled for release.

"The truth is, I was born to be Black Adam," Johnson said.

Reuniting with director Jaume Collet-Serra whom he worked with in the hit Disney film Jungle Cruise, Johnson stars in and produces Black Adam, based on the DC Comics anti-hero and sworn nemesis of Shazam, the superhero portrayed by Zachary Levi in the 2019 film of the same name.

Johnson has been working on the project as far back as 2007, and officially signed on for the role in 2014.

“This film, this universe has been a gigantic passion project of mine for a very long time,” the actor said before unveiling the first look at the film. “The film has without question some of the biggest action sequences I have ever been a part of.”

Black Adam first began appearing as a villain from ancient Egypt in comic books published by DC in 1945. The character has been redefined over the years, most recently portrayed as a corrupted antihero attempting to clear his name and reputation.

"Teth-Adam or Mighty Adam began as a hero of humanity, but then allowed his power to corrupt his ideals and desires. Now labelled Black Adam, he was exiled by Shazam, but returned in the modern day. A frequent enemy to Earth’s heroes, Black Adam believes he is the right person to lead humanity and any action he takes is necessary for the greater good," reads a description by DC Comics.

Saturday's Black Adam teaser showed Johnson's character in a hood reducing a soldier to ash, catching a bullet mid-air and rising up in the air as more bullets rain on him.

Black Adam's first big-screen debut will also feature a star-studded cast of superheroes.

Johnson’s character is likely to face-off with members of the Justice Society of America, a band of superheroes.

Netflix heart-throb Noah Centineo (To All The Boys I've Loved Before) plays Atom Smasher, who can control his molecules and change his size, density, and strength; Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami) is Hawkman, who can fly thanks to his special metal wings; Quintessa Swindell (Trinkets) is Cyclone, who can control the wind; and Pierce Brosnan will play Doctor Fate, an archaeologist who becomes a powerful sorcerer while wearing the Helmet of Fate.

Tunisian-Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari, who played Jafar in the 2019 live-action remake of Aladdin, has also been cast in an undisclosed role, and so has Palestinian-American comedian Mohammed "Mo" Amer.

Black Adam is scheduled for release on Friday, July 29, 2022.