Pierce Brosnan's Dr. Fate Was The Real Star Of Black Adam In The Eyes Of The Fans

DC's "Black Adam" is finally in theaters, marking the official arrival of Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson in both the DCEU and superhero film genre. But apparently, there's another acting heavyweight who is making his superhero debut and being called the real star of the movie — none other than Pierce Brosnan, aka Dr. Fate, and "007" himself.

"Pierce Brosnan always seems to be able to steal whatever scene he's in, it's amazing," praised Redditor u/MNfan84.

Now, "Black Adam" is most definitely a Dwayne Johnson movie when all is said and done, with his fingerprints being on basically everything, down to the actual promotion of the film through his Instagram account. But there's been quite a lot of social media chatter going on lately about Brosnan's performance as Dr. Fate, aka Kent Nelson, with many viewers claiming it ultimately outshines his fellow actors' superhero portrayals in the movie, including the titular star himself.

Critics and audiences have been going back and forth over "Black Adam" and its worthiness alongside other great DCEU and MCU flicks. But one thing most people seem to be agreeing about, online at least, is Brosnan's ability to steal the show.

Many people who have seen "Black Adam" believe Pierce Brosnan basically served as the film's one saving grace. And even those who liked Dwayne Johnson's performance, as well, feel as if Brosnan wound up stealing the show. 

"I like the Rock and it was fun watching him beat up intergang an break stuff, but oh my, Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate totally steals every scene he is in," said Redditor u/A_Deku_Stick in the official "Black Adam" discussion thread. "The calmness and suave nature he brought to the character was awesome...He was perfect as Dr. Fate. I hope he can somehow come back, even for a brief cameo."

For "Black Adam" director Jaume Collet-Serra, Brosnan was someone he knew would excel as Doctor Fate, and the filmmaker also saw him having the ability to elevate the cast and story. Collet-Serra told Vanity Fair in an August 2022 interview: "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." And judging from some of the other comments online from people who've seen "Black Adam," everything Collet-Serra is saying is right. 

If you look at what people are saying about Pierce Brosnan's performance in "Black Adam," one of the first things that immediately jumps out is how serious legendary actor seems to have been with his portrayal of Dr. Fate. According to one viewer, Brosnan was the only actor who appeared to have "treated the material seriously."

"He was the best part of the movie, by far," said Redditor u/pearlz176. 

If you ask "Black Adam" producer Hiram Garcia about what it is exactly that makes Brosnan's take on Dr. Fate so awesome, he believes it's Brosnan's iconic style and grace on the big screen — along with his incredible ability to act. Garcia explained it to The Illuminerdi back in October 2021, saying: "[Brosnan] has such a command of just presence on screen I think the minute he goes on there ... He was such a dream casting." Garcia later added, "Pierce was able to tap into that weight, that poise that comes with millennia of wisdom as being Dr. Fate and what comes with that helmet. I think he was able to tap into that in a special way for us. And in the process, you could just feel it lift up the rest of the cast." 

As of October 21, "Black Adam" was sitting with a 41% Tomatometer rating and 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It can be found playing in theaters across the country.