Dwayne Johnson, star of and producer of Black Adam, has stated that he has discussed the character’s future with DC Studios’ newly appointed co-chief James Gunn and that Gunn has assured Johnson that Black Adam “will not be in their first chapter.”
“James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling,” Johnson said in a statement released on Tuesday. But DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to keep looking into the best uses for Black Adam in future DC multiverse stories.
Still, he made it clear that he held no ill will toward Gunn, writing, “I’ve known James for quite some time, and throughout our friendship, we’ve always supported each other’s endeavors. Similarly, I will always hope that DC (and Marvel) succeeds magnificently.”
He elaborated, saying that “these decisions made by James and DC leadership represent their vision of DCU through their creative lens.” “I’m pleased with the finished product we gave Black Adam’s devoted audience around the world after 15 years of nonstop production. Fan support for Black Adam will always fill me with profound feelings of appreciation, humility, and love.”
At the end of his note, Johnson thanked his supporters, vowed to take their opinions into account in his future endeavors, and extended holiday greetings to all.
On his own Twitter page, Gunn retweeted Johnson’s statement and added, “I really like Johnson, and I look forward to hearing more from him and Seven Bucks. I’m looking forward to working with you in the near future.”
Dwayne Johnson Says ‘Black Adam’ Won’t Be Part Of DC’s New First Chapter
Cavill made his most recent Man of Steel appearance in “Black Adam” as a post-credits cameo, announcing the next day that he was “back as Superman” before Gunn and Safran were officially hired to run DC. A new Superman film was announced by James Gunn on December 14, and on that same day, Henry Cavill announced that he would not be returning to the role of the last son of Krypton.
In contrast, Johnson has only recently made his DC debut with “Black Adam,” which opened in theatres in October to underwhelming box office returns, casting doubt on the possibility of a sequel within weeks of its release. Studio insiders told Variety that “Black Adam” will likely lose money, despite the fact that it has earned $391 million worldwide (against a $195 million budget, plus marketing). Johnson has disputed this assessment on Twitter.
Johnson’s statement is full of glowing compliments for Gunn, including how the two have known each other “for years” and “have always rooted for each other’s success.” Just yesterday, Gunn responded to the “disrespectful outcry” of some DC fans who didn’t like his casting of Cavill and Gadot.
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‘Black Adam’ Review:
The DC superhero movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which was supposed to ride the lightning, instead fizzles out.
The news was also confirmed by Gunn, who said he is in an Instagram post “I’m always looking forward to (Johnson) and Seven Bucks’ upcoming projects. I’m looking forward to working with you in the near future.”
After a week of speculation, it has been confirmed that Henry Cavill will not be returning to the role of Superman. I just got off the phone with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and I’m afraid I have some bad news to share with you. No, I won’t be back as Superman after all… There is an inevitable rotation of leadership. The actor who played Superman in “Man of Steel,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and “Justice League” said, “I respect that.”
Within the same week, “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins announced that DC Films would not be producing the third film in the franchise.
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How Can Black Adam Return To The DCU In The Future?
After the antihero Black Adam was released, Johnson emphasized that Black Adam would alter the DCU’s established power structure. The Justice Society of America has sparked interest in potential spinoffs.
After Henry Cavill returned to his role as Superman in the post-credits scene, Johnson was hoping to see Black Adam square off against him. The disappointing box office performance of Black Adam, however, seems to have dampened all such hopes. Since Gunn is writing the script for the next Superman film, Johnson’s declaration about his own DCU future isn’t all that shocking.
It begs a few questions, given that Gunn and Johnson plan to use Black Adam in future stories. It appears that the DCU will undergo a reboot of sorts, though to what extent remains to be seen. Many have speculated that none of the named actors will return to their roles.
But even if the DCU does a soft reboot, Black Adam, played by Johnson, could be one of the characters Gunn keeps around for his franchise. A soft reboot would keep the established cast and setting but would loosen the continuity slightly. It is unclear if that is Gunn’s plan for DC Studios and its movie universe.
Last Words
Future DCU multiverse chapters are a key takeaway from Johnson’s statement that might be overlooked. This may suggest that the Black Adam franchise will become more self-contained if Johnson returns to the role. Warner Bros.
Discovery’s approach to The Batman and Joker universes, in which those series stand alone with no ties to other properties, is a possible model.
The DC Studios could tell a wider variety of stories if they had both the main DCU continuity and spinoff franchises. Thus, Johnson won’t have to start over playing Black Adam next year and can instead continue playing the version he created this year. After hearing back from Johnson and Gunn, the future of Black Adam and his place in the DCU is still up in the air.
