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When it was announced that Aldis Hodge would be playing Hawkman in DCEU's Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson, many of his fans were over the moon. After all, the City on the Moon and the Straight Outta Compton actor has built quite a following over the years. But there's no doubt that this DC project is the biggest he's done yet. When the Aldis himself was cast, he couldn't have been more ecstatic.
But wanting to be in a superhero movie and actually making it are two very different things. And when that movie gets hammered by critics, it's another thing entirely. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Aldis Hodge revealed his true feelings about making the superhero movie as well as what he actually thinks about playing Hawkman. In his interview, the acclaimed actor admitted to having a notable moral disagreement with his iconic DC character.
Did Aldis Hodge Like Playing Hawkman In Black Adam?
Big-budget superhero movies are notorious for having hectic shooting schedules, sets filled with divas, uncomfortable costumes, tense and overworked production teams, and overly-critical fans waiting to judge every decision made. And yet, Aldis Hodge basically told The Hollywood Reporter that working on Black Adam was a dream come true.
"It exceeded my expectations. As an actor and performer, I have bucket list items. I definitely want to get a raw, gritty drama, a great comedy, some scary movies, and do different types of TV series. But a superhero film is also in there," Aldis explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
One of the reasons Aldis was so thrilled with the process of making Black Adam, and the film itself, was that he believed his character to be "dynamic".
"I had all of my ambitions met artistically, creatively and professionally, with this particular job, because Hawkman is insanely cool. The way that the audience gravitated and supported Hawkman was something I wasn’t expecting," Aldis continued. "And this cast is awesome. This team is awesome. The positioning and the timing were all really great, and this was fortuitous in many ways."
Despite working with some of the biggest stars in the world, such as Pierce Brosnan and Dwayne Johnson, Aldis was blown away by how "humble" everyone on set was. Not only that, but each of them was "grateful" to be there.
"That was the most refreshing thing because you don’t always get that on set, especially one where everybody is basically a star. Everybody vibed, and we came together to do one of the biggest things that we’ve ever touched. So that was the most pleasant surprise."
Why Aldis Hodge Disagrees With Hawkman
Given that Hawkman is part of the Justice Society, it's really no doubt that he embodies the values of due process, morality, and, well, justice, in Black Adam. But fans of the comics know that Hawkman takes a while to get to this point.
"[Hawkman's] mindset is locked in because of certain things that have gone on in his life," Aldis Hodge explained to The Hollywood Reporter. "Fans laugh about that; they’re like, 'Hawkman is a savage. He’s k*lled more people than anybody.' So he’s got a history that he is trying to clean up, and he understands the consequences."
However, just because Hawkman thinks this way at this point in his journey, Aldis himself also sees Teth-Adam's point of view; sometimes you have to take a life in order to save one.
"In times of peril, you have to try to preserve life as much as possible, but if pushed past a certain point, you have to do something," Aldis explained. "Both my parents are former Marines. We have soldiers out there fighting on the front lines. You think about them and the situations they’re put in to protect life and liberty, and sometimes, you have to make choices you would otherwise hope to never make."
Aldis went on to explain that he wishes that nobody was ever in a position to have to take a life. However, he knows that the decision to do so isn't always black and white as his on-screen character seems to think.
"If there’s a dude out there who’s threatening many innocent lives, then you have to make a decision to protect those people. So it really depends on the situation. I’m more gray between Hawkman and Black Adam," Aldis added after wondering, "What is the reason? Who are you protecting? Why are you protecting them? Is there a greater good behind this? What are the reasons behind the choices?"
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