A new report from The Wall Street Journal has revisited the period of upheaval at DC Studios, shedding more light on why Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s plans for the brand never materialized. The report ties the decision directly to the box office and critical reception of his film, “Black Adam.”
How ‘Black Adam’ Halted The Rock’s DC Takeover
According to the article, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav met with several people about the future of the DC brand, including Johnson. The report states, “Those talks ended after the star’s DC movie ‘Black Adam’ flopped.” Johnson had pushed for his character to be a centerpiece of the DC film universe, building towards a major showdown with Henry Cavill’s Superman. While the film had Johnson’s biggest box office opening, its overall performance and critical reception were not enough to secure him a leadership role.
A Different Path For Johnson And DC
In a past interview with Kevin Hart, Johnson cited the “vortex of new leadership” at the company as a reason for the film’s creative issues. Ultimately, WBD hired James Gunn to lead the new DC Studios, who opted to reboot the universe, with a few exceptions like John Cena’s Peacemaker. This decision officially ended Johnson’s vision for a Black Adam-centric universe.
While his DC plans did not pan out, Johnson has landed in a powerful position elsewhere. He was appointed to the Board of Directors for TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, a deal that also granted him the rights to his wrestling trademarks. He is also set to star in the upcoming films “The Smashing Machine” and a future project with director Martin Scorsese.
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