Pierce Brosnan has helmed many iconic roles: James Bond, Thomas Crown, Sam Carmichael, and now DC’s legendary Doctor Fate. Here, he’s a retired member of the Justice League Society, who returns to the scene for one last mission.
Sadly, we may have to take those last three words quite literally, as this will be the first and last we see of Kent Nelson’s Doctor Fate.
In order to save Hawkman, Kent Nelson battles Sabbac alone in his Doctor Fate persona and is killed in the process. However, the Helm of Fate may choose another wearer who will then become a new iteration of Doctor Fate.
Is Doctor Fate’s death final?
Yes, Kent Nelson is confirmed to be dead after his battle with Sabbac.
The Helm of Fate gives Nelson a vision that if Hawkman tries to fight Sabbac, he will most certainly die. Not wanting to risk the lives of his JSA friends, Nelson wards off the ruins of Kahndaq so that they cannot enter it.
Instead, he goes to fight Sabbac alone. Although he is a worthy component, he cannot overpower or defeat Sabbac on his own. It is then revealed that the only way of changing Hawkman’s fate is if Nelson dies in his place.
After managing to contact Adam through astral projection, Nelson is stuck by Sabbac and dies in the process.
His spells come undone, allowing Adam and the JSA to step in and fight Sabbac. Thankfully, Hawkman has had some training with the Helm of Fate which he uses to help Black Adam defeat Sabbac.
Will the DCEU have a new Doctor Fate?
The first clarification here is that it is Kent Nelson who died, not Doctor Fate.
A little confused about what that means? Well, Nelson only becomes Doctor Fate because he adorns the Helm of Fate. Not only is the helm supposed to be sentient on its own, but in the comics, it is also possessed by the spirit of Nubu.
It is said that the wearer is at times controlled by the Helm of Fate and/or Nubu. As you may have noticed, the helm disappears after Sabbac is defeated. This means that it is on the lookout for its next wearer.
In the comics, the current Doctor Fate is Khalid Nassour, Nelson’s grandnephew. Whether or not he will appear in the DCEU is unknown, but it certainly leaves the door open for Doctor Fate’s character to return in a new way.
Couldn’t get enough of Kent Nelson? The animated series, Young Justice, has found a way to bring him back (partially) as a spirit who also resided in the Helm of Fate after his death. In a Star Wars kind of way, he was able to appear only to the current Doctor Fate.
That’s a hack as good as any to bring Pierce Brosnan back into the DCEU.
About Black Adam
Black Adam is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics fictional supervillain, directed by Jaume Collett-Serra. It is a spinoff of the 2019 movie Shazam!, and the 11th film in the DCEU franchise.
Black Adam is the antihero to Shazam and possesses the same powers as the white-caped superhero. But after being imprisoned for 5000 years, he is finally free, and now, the Justice Society of America, a team of superheroes, must stop him before he fulfills his mission to wreak havoc on the world that rejected him.
The film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Black Adam, and joining him are cast members Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Pierce Brosnan, and Viola Davis.
No Comments on Black Adam: Will Doctor Fate ever return to the DCEU?