Dwayne Johnson has been very vocal about wanting more Black Adam installments, but in a new statement, he admitted that fans will have to wait a long time to get one. On Dec. 20, Johnson tweeted a lengthy statement about the future of the character as the DC movie universe heads forward under new leadership, and he said the return of Black Adam is definitely a long way off.
He wrote in the statement, “James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.” He added, “James and I have known each other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed. It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG.”
Black Adam⚡️ pic.twitter.com/b7ZbCJZxBw
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 20, 2022
DC announced on Oct. 25 that Gunn (best known for his work on the Guardians of the Galaxy series) alongside producer Peter Safran would become cochairs and co-CEOs of Warner Bros.’s new DC Studios. Since their appointment, they’ve already canceled some projects in development, including a third Wonder Woman film.
It was no secret Johnson was gunning for a “Black Adam” sequel where his title hero fights Superman. That idea was set up by the “Black Adam” end-credits scene, which featured Henry Cavill reprising his role as the hero. In an Oct. 10 interview with Cinemablend, when Johnson was asked if he had any plans to make a movie where Black Adam fights against Superman, he said, “Absolutely. That is the whole point of this, man.”
Johnson said in that same interview that he feels the emergence of Black Adam marks a new chapter for DC. “I have been saying for some time, there’s a new era in the DC Universe that’s about to begin,” he said. “And what I meant by that was introducing a brand new character. It’s not a sequel, not an existing IP. It was . . . you know, Black Adam! Two years ago, the world had no idea who he was. We did, but not, you know, the rest of the mass out there. Introducing the JSA, introducing that new era of the DC universe. But also what I really meant by, ‘This is a new era in the DC Universe,’ is listening to the fans. Listening to the fans. And doing our best to give the fans what they want.”
Earlier this December, Cavill confirmed he won’t be returning as Superman in the new era of DC. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to [Gunn and Safran’s] hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that,” he said in part in a Dec. 14 statement.
“Black Adam” underperformed at the box office, earning $400 million worldwide on a $195 million budget (which doesn’t include marketing and promo costs). The film is currently streaming on HBO Max.