Spoiler Warning: Black Adam

Black Adam recently opened to astounding numbers at the box office. It’s one of the most popular DC movies to come out since Man of Steel. But part of what makes Black Adam so great is all the comic book heroes it introduces into the DCU. Dwayne Johnson is probably the best choice for Black Adam on and off camera, simply because of the energy he brings to the role and DC. But the reason a lot of people rushed to the theaters wasn’t for Black Adam, but for Doctor Fate. Pierce Brosnan’s character is a longtime favorite of DC comic readers.

Doctor Fate is one of the DC universe’s strongest and most popular magic users. And with that cool helmet and interesting backstory, it’s no wonder why he’s a favorite amongst comic book aficionados. Pierce Brosnan was the perfect actor to be Doctor Fate. An older gentleman who used his ample powers at the cost of dealing with a terrible curse. He held the mantle of his abilities while expressing to us the thin line separating superhero and madman.

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Although Doctor Fate died near the end of Black Adam, he was so popular that Johnson had to promise that audiences would see the character again.

Who Is Doctor Fate?

     DC Comics

Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate was known as Kent Nelson. The son of an archeologist, he was exploring ancient ruins with his father when they came across an underground pyramid. The pyramid was inhabited by an ancient immortal alien named Nabu. He had been held there in suspended animation for thousands of years. Kent Nelson awoke the being, and he appeared to be friendly.

In the golden age comics, Nabu was something of a mentor to Kent, teaching him the secrets of the universe and explaining an ancient conflict that had been going on for years. Nabu enlisted Kent as an agent of the Lords of Order to aid them in their never-ending fight against the Lords of Chaos. Nabu granted him an amulet, cloak, and helmet in order to bestow powers on Kent that would make him Doctor Fate.

The helmet granted Kent Nelson incredible powers. He could fly, was completely invulnerable, and could phase through solid objects. While wearing it, he was powerful enough to move a planet into the sun using only his mind. But even without the helmet, he could still perform some limited magic. Nabu’s training had gifted Kent with some limited superhuman strength, still making him strong enough to lift cars. He could also use some magic on his own, enough to create lights and teleport. Kent knew a few spells that would let him summon the powers of the Lords of Order without wearing it.

After wearing the Helmet of Fate for an extended period of time, it began to have adverse effects on Kent. It seemed to give him some level of immortality. As he noticed other members of the Justice Society were aging, he did not. He began to become addicted to wearing it and would regularly have visions of the future. Though the helmet made him increasingly powerful, it began to have terrible effects on his mind. This would eventually lead to a change in who Doctor Fate was.

Doctor Fate Will Return

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Dwayne Johnson confirmed that, even though the superhero had sacrificed himself in Black Adam, audiences would see more of Doctor Fate in the future.

He said on Twitter:

At the end of Black Adam, when Doctor Fate dies, Hawkman takes up the helmet and uses it to fool Sabbac to distract him. So as far as DCU lore is concerned, the mystical Helmet of Fate will likely be preserved within the Justice Society. And in the comics, Doctor Fate is more than just Kent Nelson; it is a being that exists beyond any one human hero.

It’s understood that Doctor Fate is more of a super-being composed of one or more willing hosts. So when Kent Nelson put on the helmet, it did more than grant him powers; it turned him into another being entirely.

In the comics, Nabu has granted the powers of Doctor Fate to more than one person at a time by having two people share a mystical bond that created Doctor Fate by merging their spirits. Others were also deemed worthy of donning the helmet. So while it’s unlikely that we’ll see Pierce Brosnan return as Doctor Fate in the future, we may see other actors play the role as different incarnations of Doctor Fate come into power. It would explain his death and promise of return. We could see a very different Doctor Fate in the future.