[This story contains spoilers for Black Adam . ]
Aldis Hodge’s bucket list has gotten shorter in recent weeks.
Nearly half of his 032- Years of his career, Hodge has struggled to find the role of a superhero, culminating in Black Adam , the #1 film in the world. The blockbuster, led by Dwayne Johnson , also marks the return of Henry Cavill’s Superman, Hodge’s debut in the film. Found shortly before the show. But that wasn’t the only surprise, as Hodge’s introductory scene was reshot in additional photography that included some sort of reunion.
“So when we first shot the movie, [Viola Davis] wasn’t in it at all; we all had totally different scenes. But When we were reshooting, I saw her name on the script and I was like, “Oh shit! ” Hodge told The Hollywood Reporter . “I worked with Viola when I was there or 12 years old participated A show called City of Angels, even though we weren’t face-to-face, it was awesome to share a screen of this size with her again. “
Hodge’s good fortune continued last week as he will now be the third actor to appear Alex Cross , joining Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry’s Featured Company. Created for TV by Amazon Prime Video series Ben Watkins, Cross, seems to be from the host Reacher took out a page from the script, one of which was
However, on the same day that Hodge said hello to Alex Cross, he also said goodbye to his City on a Hill character DeCourcy Ward, who starred as Kevin Bacon on the co-starring Showtime series, was canceled. But Hodge wouldn’t let the news affect his march.
“It was the best time of my career, ever. Literally, my hours in this business are 024 years, I’ve been trying to get to this point,” explains Hodge. “There’s nothing like being able to say goodbye to a great show gracefully while stepping into another amazing show.” The Marvel project is even better, all in the same week that my movie became a world number one. I don’t know how to make it better. “
In a recent conversation with THR), Hodge also discussed Black Adam with Johnson The unusual pressure of fighting, and the meaning behind Carter Hall’s watch.
So let’s cut to the chase. When did you know about Henry Cavill’s Superman will be your partner in Black Adam?
(laugh .) Very Close to the premiere. They kept it under wraps and I didn’t know until a day or two before the premiere. So they kept it that close.
Obviously , Dwayne Johnson has been trying to make it happen for years. During production, did you at least know that Dwayne had hopes and dreams that landed on him?
Not at all. No talk of bringing back Superman and anything like that. They have to keep this stuff in a super vault so all you can do is focus on trying to get Black Adam at his best. So you do hear some things, you get ideas, but nothing is confirmed or really fully expressed. Honestly, I got it because it was a huge surprise for me and I loved that we were able to experience it with the audience. The fans have been trying to get Henry Cavill back on the red and blue for a minute and the DJ was perfect to bring him back Candidate. It just doesn’t get better.
Aldis Hodge as Hawkman in Black Adam Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Sarah Shahi told me she didn’t know Viola Davis was in the movie until the premiere. So when When you originally filmed the opening scene at Hawkman Manor, did you always know that Viola was supposed to be on the other side of the phone?
Someone talks about it. Originally I had the idea of having her in, but then I felt like there was a scheduling conflict. So when we first shot the movie, she wasn’t in it at all; we all had completely different scenes. But when we were reshooting, I saw her name on the script and I was like, “Oh shit!” (laughs.) So I was in this year’s It’s been great to keep this a secret most of the time.
yes I have to ask because once Carter said the name Waller with his back to us which usually means ADR .
Yes, the moment I mentioned Waller was exactly when we knew she was on the boat. I am so excited. I mean, I worked with Viola when I was there or 12 years old participated in a program called City of show Angels, even though we are not face to face, with her again It’s awesome to share a screen of this size.
So you spend most of your life wanting to be a superhero in a superhero movie. How is experience measured?
It exceeded my expectations. As an actor and performer, I have bucket list items. I definitely want an original, gritty drama, a good comedy, some horror movies and make a different kind of drama. But there’s also a superhero movie out there. You want to do an action movie, but superhero movies are rare. You don’t always have the chance to do this. When you do, you don’t always have the chance to play such a good and dynamic character. So with this particular job I’ve achieved all my ambitions artistically, creatively and professionally because Hawkman is so cool. Audiences are engaging and supporting Hawkman in a way I didn’t expect. And the cast is great. This team is fantastic. The positioning and timing were excellent, which in many ways was accidental.
What surprised you most about making these blockbusters?
Honestly, what surprised me the most in this particular scene was everyone’s attitude. Everyone came to be humble, happy, grateful, kind and excited. So that’s the most refreshing thing, because you don’t always get it on set, especially on a set where everyone is basically a star. Everyone cheered and we got together to do one of the most important things we’ve ever touched. So this is the most pleasant surprise.
Producers say they narrowly avoided the R rating. During filming, did you ever think that you were approaching R-rated territory?
I didn’t even think about that. This is not a concern in my heart. All I wanted to do was make the coolest action sequences we could do. So it’s totally out of my cab, but I’m glad we were able to slip into the PG-12, which opens our doors to a wider audience. But even if we have an R rating, I still think we’ll be number one.
Dwayne Johnson and Aldis Hodge in Black Adam Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures 
So how long is your memory of fighting Dwayne/Black Adam?
My forever memory is that I never hit him. That’s all I care about. I’m actually serious. Wielding that mace, man…I grew up being a fighter and in terms of real fighting and stunt fighting, it’s all about understanding and knowing your distance. In real combat, you need to know exactly how far you are and how far your opponent is so you can know when to lock, time, and exit. In stunt fighting, you need to know your distance so you never touch the other person, but the mace required my arms to be fully extended. So I had to deal with understanding the different lengths because the mace adds a couple of feet. Man, all I want to do is get through the day without scratching that man’s face. Because if I scratched his face, we had to close it because of me ? Yes, that’s not bueno. But beyond that, back issues could be [another lasting memory]. (laughs.)
Unlike Black Adam, Hawkman does not believe in taking life . So Carter is the antithesis of Tess-Adam; he is the moral compass of the film. What do you think of his state of mind?
His mentality is locked because of something going on in his life. Fans laughed about it; they were like, “Hawkman is a savage. He’s killed more people than anyone.” So he has a history that he’s trying to clean up, and he understands the consequences. In this movie, we meet him at a very different place in his life than we get it straight from the comics. So the reason for not killing and not restraining oneself is personal experience. But honestly, I do agree with Hawkman and Black Adam. In times of crisis, you try to save your life, but when you get pushed to a certain point, you have to do something.
Both my parents were ex-Marines. We have soldiers fighting on the front lines. You think about them and the situation they were put in to protect life and liberty, and sometimes, you have to make choices that you wish you would never make. But it depends on the point. what is the reason? Who are you protecting? Why are you protecting them? Is there a greater benefit behind this? What is the reason behind the choice? At the end of the day, I hope no one has to take lives, but if there is a guy threatening many innocent lives, then you have to make a decision to protect those people. So it really depends on the situation. I’m greyer between Hawkman and Black Adam.
“Hawkman Manor” is one of my favorite location names for a long time because we saw his massive wealth.
(laugh.)
This also applies to how Carter is dressed in the intro. Since you are a watch guy, do you appreciate his choice of timepieces?
Well, I do it because it’s my clock.
I swear I didn’t know ahead of time, but it did get my attention.
(laugh.) Great! I am a clockmaker. I’ve been working on a title that is expected to launch next summer. My goal is 2021 June or July. But with that model, I had the opportunity to make a non-working prototype to show and wear in the movie. So I appreciate it so much because it was the culmination of my two loves coming together. What a coincidence to be able to present this huge, awesome movie in the same package with my watch, bro. by coincidence.
Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge in Black Adam Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Didn’t you and Pierce Brosnan discuss Kent and Carter’s backstory at all?
No, we didn’t actually discuss it at all, but Pierce was amazing. Work with an actor and talent who has his talent, you know, go in and he’ll be ready and you can work. You can get in there on the day and create on the fly. That’s exactly what we do. But he’s also a strong guy, and we get along very well. So a lot of off-screen relationships poured into our on-screen relationships, but I have so much love and respect for Pierce. So what’s on the page is what we took, and the writers [Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani] and our director Jaume Collet-Serra almost made it easy for us to get caught up in it.
Well, congratulations to your exciting Alex Cross
1235249973information.
thanks. This is something that popped up. I’m actually turning into a Paramount right now. I’m also the producer of [Cross] and we’re having a casting session this week.But this came out of nowhere West, it was created by Ben Watkins. He has followed me and my career so I am forever grateful to this brother for giving me this opportunity because I have been waiting for something like this my entire career. So, in that sense, it means a lot to me, and I’ve been able to see what it means for fans and people who read the books. So I definitely know Alex Cross’s book and James Patterson’s work, which is fantastic. I also know the movie works [Kiss the girl,The spider is coming,Asia Alex Cross ]. Morgan Freeman, man! Of course, I didn’t refer to any previous films to do my work. It’s totally personal and I’ll do that. But what this opportunity means to me both professionally and creatively, it’s definitely been a great deal.
How would you differentiate your character version in Cross?
I hope this won’t be an conceit, but what I’m paying will be my version. I just want my contribution to be the best version possible. I never put myself in a position to compare any of my performances or choices because I think it distracts you from doing your real work. Hawkman’s situation is almost the same. There are different versions of Hawkman on TV, but I’ve never seen any of them. I just read manga because I’m a manga artist.
As an artist, you should always remain calm, focus immediately, and never let anything distract you. Because no matter what you do, it’s always going to be different. That’s the magic we have as artists. Each of us is different in many ways. We just have to rely on it. So no matter how I play it will be my version, I just want to make it the best version.
On the same day you greeted Alex Cross, you greeted City on a Hill Farewell. Sarah actually1235246376 tell I said you two are at Black Adam Set where you both look at each other and note how far you both have come since the early days City on Hill . So how do you feel about this moment?
This was the best time of my career. Literally, my hours in this business are 032 years, I’ve been trying to get to this point. There’s nothing better than being able to gracefully say goodbye to a great show while stepping into another amazing project, all in the same week that my film became a world number one. I don’t know how to make it better. (laughs.) I can’t explain more. This is the best time of my career and I am the shepherd of this special moment.
So I just want to take care of it and not completely ruin my life. I want to make the right choice and move on. This is very much a step towards something bigger than that, and I want to make sure I’m heading in the right direction. So I need to be aware of what these opportunities are really presenting, not “Oh, I could have a great role on TV.” No, it provides opportunity and responsibility and I need to make sure I realize that and take care of it.
12352463761235246376Black Adam is now in theaters. This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
