Dwayne Johnson will star in DC's next big superhero movie

After months of teasing, it's finally official: Dwayne Johnson is joining the DC Comics universe.

Johnson will star in Shazam as the antiheroic Black Adam. Few details about the movie have been released, but Johnson will star opposite an as-yet uncast actor as Shazam, a boy who can transform into a superhero with the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury by speaking the acronym/magic word "Shazam." Johnson was reportedly offered his choice of Shazam or Black Adam, and eventually opted to play the antihero instead of the superhero.

Variety reports that Shazam will be written by Darren Lemke, whose recent credits include Shrek Forever After, Turbo, and the upcoming Goosebumps movie. Johnson confirmed and celebrated his casting with a telling tweet:

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In recent months, DC has been taking steps to beef up its superhero movie lineup, starting with next year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will also include Wonder Woman and Aquaman. It remains to be seen if DC will follow Marvel's lead and tie Shazam into a larger, interconnected cinematic universe.