The DCEU will be introducing the Justice Society of America in Black Adam and Pierce Brosnan will portray one of the most iconic members: Doctor Fate. One of the DC films that have been in development the longest is Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam film, which takes the beloved Shazam villain in a new direction. While he's normally the ultimate opponent of Shazam, Johnson's character will be depicted as an anti-hero and tell his origin story. This will be the first time Black Adam has ever been depicted in live-action, and Johnson's character will certainly be a huge addition to the DCEU. But Black Adam isn't just bringing the titular villain-now-antihero to life, as fans will also see the cinematic debut of several DCEU Justice Society characters as yet unseen on the big screen (DCEU or otherwise). The Dr. Fate Black Adam appearance is one of the most highly anticipated, and not just because he's being played by a former James Bond. But who is Dr. Fate, and what does his presence mean for the fate of the DCEU?
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Doctor Fate is a longstanding and key member of The Justice Society of America, the golden age of superheroes before the Justice League. The team has been heavily featured on The CW's Stargirl where Courtney Whitmore is leading the next generation of the JSA with new heroes taking on the mantle. Black Adam, however, will focus on the original JSA lineup from the 1940s, featuring Hawkman, Atom-Smasher, Cyclone, and Doctor Fate. The film has cast James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan in the role of Kent Nelson (the original Doctor Fate, as the title has been worn by others in the comics). Doctor Fate made his first comic-book appearance in 1940, a full five years before the titular Black Adam, making him only a year younger than Batman and Superman. His iconic costume hasn't changed much in that time either, yet he's surprisingly unknown outside DC fan circles.
Over his 80+ year history, Doctor Fate has been used in a lot of DC properties, mostly in animation, but Kent did make his live-action debut in Smallville season 9 for the JSA two-parter. Brent Stait played the beloved Dr. Fate – in this version, a superhero that came out of retirement and aided the new generation of heroes before Icicle killed him. But the Dr. Fate Black Adam viewers will see has been given a theatrical treatment, and his inclusion is a big deal for the DCEU. Not only is Doctor Fate a huge member of the JSA, but he's one of the most powerful (and even dangerous) heroes that exist in the DC Universe as well. But for new fans, the name Kent Nelson might not mean much. So who is Dr. Fate, and why are DC fans so energetically discussing the Pierce Brosnan Dr. Fate Black Adam will be debuting?
Doctor Fate Origin & Story In DC Comics
The Dr. Fate Black Adam story will likely be unique to Brosnan's version, though it will still probably be a variation on Doctor Fate's most widely-accepted origin story (similar to how every on-screen Batman has dead parents, but only Michael Keaton's were shot by The Joker). Like most characters including fellow JSA member Hawkman, Doctor Fate has been rebooted several times since his debut in May 1940 when Kent first appeared in More Fun Comics #55. While many characters have been Doctor Fate in the DC Universe, it all started with Kent as the original sorcerer. Kent's story begins when he was exploring the tomb of Nabu the Wise with his father Sven Nelson. When they open Nabu's tomb, his spirit gets released, and while Sven dies from a dangerous gas, Kent is spared. Nabu becomes Kent's mentor and trains him to become a powerful sorcerer. By gifting him a magical helmet (also known as the Helmet of Fate and/or Helmet of Nabu), Kent became the heroic Doctor Fate who would take on supernatural threats.
But while Nabu guides him on their adventures, the helmet also allows him to use Kent's body as a host. Dr. Fate has similarities with Moon Knight, as some keen fans have noticed, but they're very different characters – fans shouldn't expect any Khonshu-like behavior from Nabu or violent beat-downs from Kent. In a rare reversal, the MCU hero with an Egypt-themed origin is far darker than the DCEU's. Not to mention that when it comes to powers and purpose, Doctor Strange is a better comparison for Pierce Brosnan's Black Adam character. Both are incredibly adept mystics who answer a call from a mysterious order to protect the world from magical threats.
By assuming the Doctor Fate mantle, Kent also became a part of the Lords of Order, a powerful team consisting of individuals with tremendous mystical abilities. By training with Nabu, Kent became one of the DCEU's advanced magic users, and the more he operated as Doctor Fate, the stronger he grew. While Kent operated as a magical hero, he would eventually go on to become an actual doctor of medicine, since he also wanted to help save more lives in non-superhero capacities. Kent does also fall in love with Inza, who would not only become his wife down the line but also another DC character to join the Doctor Fate legacy.
Doctor Fate Powers & Abilities
While Kent is mortal, his training with Nabu has allowed him a wide range of talents as a sorcerer in his own right. Provided WB doesn't reduce his power levels, Dr. Fate is guaranteed to be one of the most powerful characters in the DCEU. But most of his powers also come from the Helmet of Nabu, which is why it's potentially dangerous if that helmet ends up in the wrong hands. Nabu also gave Kent the Cloak of Destiny and Amulet of Anubis that, combined with the Helmet of Nabu, makes Kent a force to be reckoned with. As Doctor Fate, Kent has powers such as healing, teleportation, flight, telepathy, telekinesis, and various forms of spellcasting. As a sorcerer, Doctor Fate can sense the magic that is either approaching or around him (which comes in handy with some of the threats he faces). Doctor Fate is also so powerful that he can travel between alternative dimensions and Earths in the DC Multiverse. Fans making comparisons with Dr. Strange to gauge his abilities should use this fact as a yardstick – Doctor Fate naturally has the America Chavez powers that Wanda and Strange nearly tore apart the MCU's Multiverse trying to obtain.
Kent's time with Nabu has granted him a level of immortality and invulnerability, similar to other powerful superheroes. As Doctor Fate, he's one of the DC characters that is able to connect to cosmic forces, knowing what's coming in the future, and he even has the power to time travel. But as the iconic sorcerer, Kent can use his energy to create constructs, force fields, and stop other types of energy that try to attack. Doctor Fate is able to use his magical knowledge to either summon or banish anyone or anything. Someone like Superman, who is vulnerable to magic, would be powerless against Doctor Fate, but if Kent wanted to, he could make Clark Kent immune to magic. There's more regarding what Doctor Fate is capable of, but like many characters, his history is largely dependent on the person writing his story; above all, he's one of the most powerful – if not the most powerful – sorcerers in DC Comics.
Doctor Fate's Justice Society Story In DC Comics
While Doctor Fate has become one of DC Comics' ultimate superheroes in the modern era, his history with the Justice Society is still a crucial component. Kent was one of the founding members of the golden age team that, in most incarnations, fought in the 1940s. Doctor Fate, along with other heroes like Flash (Jay Garrick), Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Black Canary (Dinah Drake), Spectre, Hawkman, Sandman, and more, formed the team during World War II. The JSA would sometimes serve as the predecessor to the JLA that has modern depictions of Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, and others. In some iterations, the JSA was the Earth-2 counterpart to Earth-1's Justice League when DC had established the two teams living on separate worlds.
One of the important elements that Kent had with the Justice Society was how he began discovering that Nabu's spirit was possessing his body more and more. That's what led Kent to make the half helmet that would render him less powerful but still grant him some access to his powers. For a period of time, Kent had actually retired from the JSA and was no longer Doctor Fate after the Helmet of Nabu was lost to the Netherverse, although he did get it back later on. In the modern DC era (or DC Rebirth, as it's commonly called), Doctor Fate is still established as one of the founding members of the Justice Society of America.
Pierce Brosnan's DCEU Role As Doctor Fate
Backstory specifics of Dr. Fate in Black Adam aren't known, but the trailers gave audiences a great glimpse of what to expect. While Black Adam is an origin story for Theo-Adam, the exact time frame is unknown. Voiceovers in the trailer mention that "in this world, there are heroes and villains." It can be assumed that the Justice Society (at the very least) has been active for a while and has also had villains to face before Black Adam shows up. It's unknown whether this will be pre- or post-Justice League though, so it's difficult to point its exact place in the DECEU timeline. When Johnson unveiled a brief teaser trailer at DC FanDome, a Black Adam voiceover described his circumstances – "there are some who think I need help." It's believed this is in reference to the Justice Society of America. Later trailers included a Pierce Brosnan/Dr. Fate VO that further supports this, with Brosnan's soft-spoken Kent saying, "Black Adam, what have your powers ever given to you? Nothing but heartache."
The confirmed Justice Society Black Adam line-up so far has Noah Centineo's Atom-Smasher, Aldis Hodge's Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone, and Brosnan's Doctor Fate. It remains to be seen if other JSA members will be appearing in the film. However, despite this impressive line-up, Doctor Fate might be the only one that can truly take on Black Adam. While Black Adam will eventually trade blows with Shazam in an unannounced-but-expected crossover, Doctor Fate might be his ultimate equal in the Black Adam movie. The chances Dr. Fate will only appear in a Black Adam origin story are slim though. Given that they cast someone with Brosnan's caliber, it's highly unlikely that they're setting him up for just a one-and-done role in the DCEU.
Doctor Fate is one of the many characters to represent the magical realm in the DC Universe, a corner the DCEU has not entirely explored. Speaking at SDCC 2022, Dwayne Johnson certainly indicated that Black Adam could shape the DCEU's future direction. "What does that character [Black Adam] mean?" Johnson asked fans (via comicbook.com), "What does it mean to build out the DC universe with the Justice Society as well?” Depending on Black Adam's success, a Justice Society spinoff film could well be on the cards. With Doctor Fate also having ties to other teams in the DC Universe, Kent may serve as a crucial player in Warner Bros. multiversal storytelling. Black Adam will be a big opening chapter for Pierce Brosnan's character, but that might just only be the beginning of Doctor Fate's cinematic adventures.