One of the things that The Rock promised when he made the Black Adam movie was that this film would be “for the fans.” Critics have blasted the movie for one reason or another, but true to his word, fans have loved it. They loved The Rock’s portrayal of the anti-hero, the Justice Society getting its due, and more. But key among all the things the film had was the Easter Eggs and teases of what was to come. Fans were even quick to notice a climatic moment within the film was a reference to the beloved fighting game Injustice 2.
Slight spoilers ahead; you’ve been warned. In the film’s final act, Black Adam is trapped and can’t break free of his containment to say the magic word to transform again. Dr. Fate, who is fighting the movie’s main villain at the time, sends a projection of himself to Adam’s cell and uses some magic to help start his escape. That alone wouldn’t mean much. But, as the tweet below showcases, the motions he does for the spell are an exact replica of the victory animation for Dr. Fate in Injustice 2:
Pretty cool, huh? You have to wonder who put that in there. Was it one of the writers? Was it one of the VFX people who played the game? We don’t know, but it’s really cool. It also should be noted that the head of NetherRealm Studios, Ed Boon, was also high on the film, and Dr. Fate:
We wouldn’t mind another movie or series depicting Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, and he was good at the role. The film has had a successful box office debut, so anything is possible now.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the only time the DCEU has tapped that video game for inspiration. In the film Birds of Prey, actor Jurnee Smollett-Bell played Black Canary, who was also in the sequel game. She noted that her take on the character, especially visually at the end, was inspired by Injustice 2.
What does this show? It shows that the games were impactful and stood out in many people’s minds. Initially, the title was just meant to be a “mash-up” of the DC Comics world but with the fighting game mechanics of the recent Mortal Kombat games. Instead, it became a whole other universe that many people tapped into. That includes DC Comics, who made multiple long-form comic series detailing how the events in the game came to be and even tied the two stories together even more.
The games were tight and had great stories, expansive rosters, and fun DLC additions. Many are hoping that a third title in the series will happen, though it hasn’t been confirmed to be coming just yet.
Source: Twitter