ORLANDO, Fla. — Veteran actor Pierce Brosnan has seemingly done it all, from his iconic portrayal of thief and con man Remmington Steele in the ‘80s to embodying 007 in the ‘90s, and more recently belting out ABBA tunes alongside Meryl Streep in the “Mamma Mia” films.
However, one role that has eluded him in his storied career has been that of a superhero, something that will finally be rectified with the release of “Black Adam” later this month. In this film, Brosnan takes on the role of sorcerer and visionary Doctor Fate, a character who first appeared in the 1940s and went on to become a part of the superhero supergroup the Justice Society of America, a precursor to the Justice League.
Brosnan couldn’t have been more excited to take on this pivotal role, as says he had been waiting a long time for the right superhero role to come along.
“I’ve stood in the wings of wonderment, wondering when I was ever going to be asked to be a superhero,” he said in a recent interview by phone. “I’m very much a comic book fan … the illustrations and the artwork and the mythology of them all.”
Brosnan went on to say the role of Doctor Fate appealed to him specifically as it allowed him to dive into a truly complex character. “This is a man who’s burdened with this superpower, and (the challenge) is trying to make him as human as possible and as relatable as possible,” he said.
In addition to fulfilling a lifelong goal of working on a comic book movie, Brosnan also said he relished the chance during the filming of “Black Adam” to work with young actors Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo, who play heroes Cyclone and Atom Smasher, respectively.
“I was just constantly charmed by their work, and they gave me so much as an actor in return, their commitment, their passion, that humor, the intellect,” he said of his young co-stars. “As the eldest statesman, the elder of the group, I just sat back and reveled in their work.”
In the film, Fate can be seen struggling with his power of foresight, and is tormented by the cosmic implications of his choices during his team’s confrontation with Black Adam. And while his character is able to ultimately use this power to help his comrades, Brosnan says he absolutely would not want this power for himself.
“I don’t wish to know the future,” he said. “I just want to be in the present (and) enjoy the here and now as a fellow whose 70th birthday is just around the corner,” he said.
While it is currently unknown if Brosnan will be returning to the role of Doctor Fate in future DC films, the actor said he was grateful for the opportunity to appear in this film. “What more could I ask for as an actor? The last thing I was expecting at this time in my life was to play a superhero.”
“Black Adam,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the title role, premieres in theaters Oct. 21. More information and advance tickets are available at dc.com/BlackAdam.
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