Johnson was in talks to join the comic book franchise for over a decade before finally taking on the role of Black Adam. At various points, the WWE Champion turned Hollywood Superstar was in talks to play Shazam and the John Stewart version of Green Lantern. Black Adam finally hit theaters last October to mixed critical reviews and a slightly underperforming box office, but the audience and fan response were largely positive. What did Dwayne Johnson have to say regarding the rumors that his relationship with DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery have become toxic? Read on for the facts.
Brandon Davis, producer and host of the entertainment industry podcast Phase Zero, posted on Twitter regarding Dwayne Johnson and the supposed unfollowing of the Instagram accounts. Dwayne Johnson responded to the tweet, plainly stating that the rumor is not at all true. According to the Hollywood celebrity, he never followed those Instagram accounts to begin with: In light of this, Brandon Davis deleted the original tweet, apologizing to Johnson, to which the man called The Rock responded amicably.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 17, 2022 However, a slew of other stories have surfaced recently about Dwayne Johnson’s reported problems working with DC. The blockbuster star of such films as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Hobbs and Shaw, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, Netflix’s Red Notice, and many more is said to have had to bypass the former boss of DC Films, Walter Hamada, to the current CEOs of Warner Bros. Pictures, Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, to push Henry Cavill to appear as Superman in Black Adam. Johnson recently confirmed the reports, saying that the previous DCEU higher-ups were not interested in bringing back the Man of Steel star and his brief cameo in Black Adam would not have happened if not for the necessary push. Aside from introducing the Justice Society, the mid-credits scene had Cavill reprise his Superman role, setting up a potential clash against “The Man in Black” in a sequel. Another issue that the entertainment news sites claimed is that Black Adam’s middling box office performance would stand to lose $100 million for Warner Bros. Pictures. Johnson responded to this allegation through his social media to assure fans that his DCU debut would in fact bring the studio in profits in the range of $52-72 million. Johnson also pointed out that the first Captain America movie in 2011 only grossed $370.6 million globally on a $140 million budget. And just this past week, another rumor recently arose is that Johnson was making a power play for the DC Studios leadership, using Henry Cavill as a pawn. Despite all these controversies and rumors, Johnson has publicly expressed excitement about what the future holds for him in the comic book franchise, but it has led to questions on many viewers’ minds. However, that future seems uncertain, now that new DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has declared the new DC Universe will be a clean slate. Gunn even went so far as confirming Henry Cavill will not be returning as Superman. This has proven to be a very unpopular decision, as fans flocked to social media to call for Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav to fire James Gunn. While the fulfillment of the potential Black Adam sequel hinted at the end of the film is up in the air, Dwayne Johnson appears to still be enthusiastic for it to eventually materialize. And it is not impossible, as Black Adam is proving to be a hit with the massive pre-orders for the digital release this past Thanksgiving. Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson is now available through the HBO Max streaming service and through digital purchase.
