Warning! SPOILERS for Black Adam.
The DCEU’s version of the Justice Society was recently introduced in the DCEU's Justice Society, led by Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), who is ed by a retired Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan) and superhero newbies Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). Though it was inevitable that the Justice Society would one day show up in a larger DCEU project, as they are a keystone of the DC Universe, their introduction in Black Adam is unsubstantiated. Similar criticism was commonly discussed when the Justice League’s first movie debuted, as key had hardly been given any screen time before, or indeed, a proper introduction.
When Justice League was released in 2017, Aquaman hadn’t even had his first solo movie yet, Justice Society’s introduction in Black Adam, though arguably it's even worse. The Justice Society has never been mentioned in a DCEU property before, and so their appearance comes out of nowhere, leaving audiences with too many questions and not enough background to piece together the answers. If a viewer isn’t familiar with the Justice Society from other DC media like the comics, there’s very little here to make them understand why the Justice Society is so important within the DC universe.
The Justice Society's Role in Black Adam Is Too Big For It To Be An Introduction
The Justice Society plays a major role in Black Adam. This isn’t surprising, Black Adam as a character needed adversaries that presented an actual obstacle, and bringing in a superhero group like the Justice Society is a simple enough solution. The ensuing fights between super-powered parties provide enough spectacle to keep the film going, and Cyclone’s and Doctor Fate's powers in Black Adam especially add plenty of visual treats for the audience to enjoy. However, the movie tells us very little about the Justice Society as a whole. There are a few brief scenes between Atom Smasher and Cyclone where they attempt to bond over being new to the superhero world, and Hawkman’s and Dr. Fate’s long-standing friendship is often alluded to and becomes the crux of the Justice Society’s emotional climax in Black Adam. Is that enough to make the audience feel like they have any grasp on these characters? Arguably, no.
Black Adam doesn’t provide any clear answers as to who the Justice Society are, why Hawkman seems to be the only actually working member of the group, or why they needed to bring two entirely inexperienced heroes with them on such a dangerous mission. Perhaps what makes this even worse is Black Adam’s end-credits scene, which, while delighting audiences with the confirmed return of Henry Cavill as Superman to the DCEU, negates the entire reasoning behind Amanda Waller sending the Justice Society to confront Black Adam. Why call a supergroup that is forced to pull someone out of retirement and bring along two untried heroes, when you’ve got Superman on standby?
The Justice Society Deserved Better Character Arcs In Black Adam
The four of the Justice Society in Black Adam all genuinely have potential, but the film’s focus is on Black Adam and his reintroduction to Khandaq, and rightfully so. As a result, however, the movie doesn’t get to spend any real time with these Justice Society characters to learn what makes them tick, learn about their backstories, or even how their powers work. Dr. Fate and Hawkman in Black Adam continually reference their friendship, but aside from a few traded quips here and there, their dynamic doesn’t truly prove years of friendship, making Dr. Fate’s sacrifice feel less impactful. Atom Smasher’s inexperience is so heavily emphasized that it becomes a struggle to understand why they even brought him along. Cyclone is said to be a genius but only really gets one small moment to show that is true in the Justice Society ship’s medical bay. So much is left unsaid regarding these characters in Black Adam that the next time the Justice Society shows up in a DCEU film, the hero roster might have changed completely, and it sadly wouldn’t really matter.
Without prior knowledge of the Justice Society of America or the characters involved in Black Adam, there’s very little here that will get you to root for them. Dr. Fate has been continually compared to Marvel’s Doctor Strange because the film doesn’t do enough to differentiate them from one another, even though Fate’s backstory and powers in the comics differ quite substantially from Strange’s. Comparisons between the two titans of superhero storytelling are inevitable, but DC can ensure those comparisons become less relevant by taking the time to introduce and develop their biggest characters and give audiences a chance to connect with them. Heroes involved with the Justice League and with the Justice Society deserve a proper screen presence, and hopefully, as the DCEU continues to grow after Black Adam’s release, that’s just what they’ll get.
