Art by Prentis Rollins (2017, Commissioned by Tim Board)

Sep 26, 2020

Aldis Hodge Cast as Hawkman!


September 25, 2020 will go down as a day to remember in Hawkworld history as the first actor to play the live-action Hawkman for the silver screen was announced. After many months of rumors and speculations, Aldis Hodge was confirmed by numerous sources and finally the actor himself to be the Winged Wonder for the upcoming Black Adam movie.  The announcement came as a surprise to many fans and there was an immediate interest in the topic and Hawkman was even trending on Twitter for a while, something that this Hawkman fan has never seen before. 

Not sure where the first report came out, but the Hollywood Reporter announced that Hodge was in talks with Warner for the role during the late afternoon. Soon after, Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, who will be playing Black Adam, posted this on Instagram.

Soon after, Hodge himself posted the news on Instagram


The Internet blew up with the news on social media and Hawkman was soon trending in the top ten topics on Twitter for a while. 

 

The reaction was mixed, but it was mostly positive. There was some talk about why a white actor wasn't chosen. Hawkman has traditionally been a white man in the comics, but in some past lives, he has been depicted as many other races. As a hero who has reincarnated through time and space and over thousands and thousands of years, he has pretty much done it all. In one of his past lives, he has been shown to be the Egyptian Prince Khufu. Although Khufu was depicted as a white man in his first appearance in Flash Comics No. 1 (January 1940), he has been black in more recent Khufu stories. 

JSA No. 20 (March 2001)

Hawkman Secret Files and Origins No. 1 (October 2002)

So Hawkman had a former life as a Black man. What about the Hawkman in the upcoming movie? According to reports, the story in the Black Adam movie appears to be based on a story called "Blackest Reign," which was a six-part saga in JSA #56, Hawkman #23, JSA #57, HM #24, JSA #58, and HM #25 (2004). 


Here is Emergency Awesome's breakdown of the DC FanDome introduction. 

Here is my article on the interesting history between Hawkman and Black Adam. 



The story that The Rock described is very similar to the storyline in the Black Reign Event. Another factor is the inclusion of Atom Smasher and Cyclone. Hawkman and Dr. Fate have known Black Adam for thousands of years, but Atom Smasher came into the JSA at this time. Cyclone is even newer and did not show up until a few years after this event. But the presence of these two seems to show that the story will be in the present time. So, if Hodge is Hawkman, he will probably be playing Carter Hall. In the comics, he is white so I guess that's a whole other discussion that is important for some people but that's for another time and place if they want to make that an issue. I do not.  
Personally, I am totally on board with Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. He is built, tall (185cm or 6'1"), a great actor, and young enough to make this a long-running gig if the movies are a hit. I'm excited about this announcement. 


Who is Aldis Hodge? Let's take a look at the actor who has been chosen to be the first-ever live-action Hawkman to fly across the silver screen.

Aldis Alexander Basil Hodge
Birthdate: September 20, 1986
Birthplace: Onslow County, North Carolina
Education: Art Center College of Design (Pasadena, CA)
Relatives: Edwin Hodge (actor)
Self-taught Horologist: Hodge has an affinity for watches and has become famous for his ability as a horologist. He is even developing his own watch brand. 




Here are some great articles/interviews on Aldis Hodge.
Aldis Hodge, A 30-Year Acting Veteran At Age 32, On 'City On A Hill'
New Hollywood Podcast: From ‘Friday Night Lights’ To ‘Clemency’, Aldis Hodge Is Making His Mark On Hollywood


Acting Awards: 
   Saturn Awards: Best Supporting Actor Television (2010), nominated
    Screen Actor Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, winner


Aldis Hodge Quotes: 
My approach is always the same. I try to be as honest as possible. Find the real honesty and humanity in the character because even a fictional character is supposed to feel real. And my job is to find that reality and bring it to the screen.
Everybody wants somebody to look up to that looks like them so they can truly believe in that reality for themselves.
What is a superhero? They're supposed to represent hope, opportunity, and strength for everybody.
What is a superhero? They're supposed to represent hope, opportunity, and strength for everybody.

 

'Underground' star Aldis Hodge gives flawless answer about why he's a feminist


Movie Appearances: 

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Clemency (2019)

The Invisible Man (2020)

One Night in Miami (2020)

TV Appearances: 

Friday Night Lights (2006)

Leverage (2008-2012)

City on a Hil (2019)

Here's a hilarious article about Dwayne Johnson calling Aldis Hodge to let him know he got the part of Hawkman. 

There's sure to be a lot more to discover about our new Hawkman, Aldis Hodge in the months ahead!  The movie is currently scheduled to begin shooting early next year and hit the theaters in December 2021. 


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