WARNING: This article includes MAJOR spoilers for Black Adam.According to a new report, Dwayne Johnson allegedly had to go above the DC Films boss for a major Johnson's Black Adam movie is finally landing in theaters this week, bringing the iconic character into the DCEU. Johnson was cast as the titular character almost a decade ago and was initially going to appear in the Shazam! movie with Zachary Levi until he convinced Warner Bros. to let the two characters have their own origin stories before clashing.
Black Adam will explore Teth-Adam's grim origin story as a Kahndaq slave who is one day given godlike powers and becomes one of Earth's most powerful beings. However, he isn't the first to arrive onscreen, as Superman has been part of the DCEU ever since Man of Steel launched the franchise in 2013, with Henry Cavill as Superman. With Black Adam being released later this week, Johnson has commented on Superman's DCEU absence and how he has plans for him and Black Adam in the future. The news that Black Adam's post-credit scene recently leaked has further delighted fans eager for Superman's return.
The Black Adam Superman credits scene has drummed up excitement, but Johnson had to pull some major strings to make it happen. According to a new piece from The Hollywood Reporter, Cavill's Superman was not initially going to be in Black Adam, and it wasn't until reshoots occurred earlier this year that the idea came up. According to the trade, DC Films boss Walter Hamada, who is said to be exiting the position this week, had nixed the idea, choosing to focus on Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Superman reboot movie. Because of Hamada's rejection, Johnson went around him and turned directly to current Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who were in of having Superman show up in Black Adam. A "furious round of negotiating" supposedly occurred before Labor Day, and the scene was filmed by mid-September.
The Rock's Commitment To Superman Wasn't Just For Show
While Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films have yet to comment on this story, if this is what happened, it shows that Johnson's commitment to Superman was genuine. The last time Cavill's Superman was seen on screen was in Zack Snyder's Justice League cut, but that movie takes place in a separate continuity and is not canon to the DCEU. As far as recent DCEU films go, Cavill's Superman hasn't been part of the franchise since 2017. The character has made cameos in Shazam! and Peacemaker, but didn't have the British star portraying him. With Johnson going to these lengths, it proves that he isn't backing down from his hopes and plans to do projects involving Cavill's Superman.
With Black Adam coming out later this week in theaters all over the world, time will tell how long it will be until Cavill suits up as Superman again in the DCEU after the post-credits scene. With Cavill returning to the DCEU on a supposed regular basis, it bodes well for a potential Man of Steel 2 and other DC projects that would feature the iconic hero. It will also be interesting to see what role Johnson may play in Cavill's Superman appearances, whether he would be a consultant or an executive producer on future films, especially after Black Adam comes out.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
