Who Is Doctor Fate? Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, Explained
Doctor Fate is finally getting his feature film live-action debut in the upcoming DC Extended Universe film, Black Adam. Doctor Fate has been in his fair share of animated DC films and has even had cameos or guest appearance in the live-action shows Smallville Animated Sequel Series”>Smallville, Constantine, and DC’s Stargirl Season 2 Trailer Introduces Green Lantern’s Daughter”>Stargirl. However, Black Adam will be Doctor Fate’s first live-action appearance in a film, as well as in the DCEU continuity. Doctor Fate is set to portrayed by Pierce Brosnan in Black Adam, which is set to premiere on October 21, 2022.
Black Adam will follow the tale of Teth-Adam (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), an ancient Egyptian initially chosen by the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou) to be his champion. Once bestowed with the power of the gods, though, Teth-Adam proves to be deeply corrupted. He is then imprisoned for 5,000 years and christened Black Adam. Once his 5,000 year imprisonment ends, Black Adam returns in modern society to re-assert his skewed sense of justice on the world. This catches the attention of the Justice Society of America, who must help Black Adam decide if he is the savior, or destroyer, of the world.
Black Adam will see the live-action debut of the JSA in the DCEU. In this particular film, the superhero team will consist of four members: Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Brosnan). Doctor Fate is one character that definitely has our attention, considering that he’s the founder of the All-Star Squadron and JSA in the comic books. Here is what you need to know about Brosnan’s Doctor Fate before Black Adam.
Who is Doctor Fate in DC comics?
Doctor Fate has been the alias of many heroes in DC comics. However, Brosnan is portraying the most popular incarnation of the hero—Kent Nelson. In the comics, Nelson was the son of an archeologist named Sven Nelson. In the 1920s, the father and son were exploring the Valley of Ur in Mesopotamia, when Kent unleashed the cosmic being, Nabu, from suspended animation. This unleashing of Nabu, though, simultaneously killed Kent’s father. It was actually in accordance with Nabu’s secret plans to gain a new avatar.
However, Nabu feigned pity on the grieving Nelson boy and taught him in the ways of sorcery. He even bestowed upon Nelson his magical helmet, amulet, and cloak. The magical artifacts gave Nelson many superhuman powers, such as flight, telekinesis, and immortality. It also enhanced his knowledge of sorcery and aided him in casting powerful spells. Armed with this magic and with his powers, he set out to become a force of good in the world. However, Nabu sometimes utilized the helmet to possess Nelson. This led to Nelson, at times, attempting to distance himself from it, but often reluctantly wearing it again to defeat major foes. Without his helmet, his powers were greatly diminished.
As a hero, Nelson is most well-known for establishing the superhero team the JSA. In addition to Nelson, the initial members of the JSA were Flash, Green Lantern, Spectre, Atom, Hourman, Sandman, and Hawkman. He had numerous adventures with the JSA and later also become one of the founding members of Justice League International.
Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate
So far, Brosnan’s Doctor Fate in Black Adam looks very promising. The Irish actor is best known for playing James Bond between 1995 and 2002. Hence, playing legendary and powerful characters isn’t something that’s new to him. Director Jaume Collet-Serra told CinemaBlend:
You need a special actor to play, basically, a legend. Dr. Fate is a very powerful being, so you need someone like Pierce who can play powerful without it being overly done. He can do it in a very subtle way. I mean, he’s one of the coolest people in the world—he was James Bond! But as a person, he’s magnetic, so warm with such gravitas.
Needless to say, Brosnan is a perfect fit for the wise and subtly powerful Doctor Fate in Black Adam. We’re not sure how much of Nelson’s comic book history will make it into the film. After all, Brosnan is playing a bit of an older version of the character, with much of his comic book history already behind him. This may actually work quite well, as it allows us to see Doctor Fate at the peak of his power, rather than as a hero just getting his feet under him. Also, Brosnan’s Doctor Fate costume is absolutely stunning. His costume is nearly identical to his comic book counterpart, but, of course, that glittering gold is much more eye-catching in live-action.
(featured image: Warner Bros.)
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