This weekend, the 6′ 5" charisma machine that is Dwayne Johnson will flex his way into multiplexes across the country in Brett Ratner‘s "Hercules." It’s another showcase for the blockbuster actor, this time in a major leading role after taking supporting turns in both "Fast & Furious 6" and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation." And the folks at Warner Bros. will be looking at the results for that film very closely as they’ve been talking with the actor about taking on a still unspecified DC Comics character. Well, leave to The Rock to tease what he says is an impending announcement (maybe at Comic-Con?) about the project that will bear his name.
Chatting with Total Film, when asked about a potential DC Comics role, Johnson danced around the character he’d be playing, before saying it will have "the power of Superman." So yeah, it seems like Shazam, who non-comic fans might want to note is described as having, "the genius of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the unbreakable will of Atlas, the lightning blasts of Zeus, the power of Achilles and the speed of Mercury." It’s not official of course, but it’s pretty easy to put together the clues and hints (and for the record, Johnson confirms he’s not playing Green Lantern).
But before any of that, there’s "Hercules" and a new clip is here with The Rock in action, saving the life of Ian McShane. But frankly, "Watchmen" author Alan Moore would prefer you didn’t see the movie. Talking with Bleeding Cool, the writer reveals that the late Steve Moore, the man behind "The Thracian Wars" graphic novel which serves as the source material for the movie, wasn’t paid or consulted by publishers Radical Comics. "I would…ask that anybody out there who gives a damn about Steve Moore or his legacy not go to see this wretched film. It is the last thing that Steve would’ve wanted. And I cannot un-recommend it too highly or anybody involved in it," he said. "I think it is absolutely shameful, however, there are also more positive elements of Steve’s legacy."
"Hercules" opens this Friday.
What if this was just a big red herring, and he actually reveals he's going to be playing Hercules in Avengers 2?