Few films have received as much media and public attention months after their premiere as DC’s Black Adam. For one reason or another, the Dwayne Johnson movie has continued to be a hot issue among pop culture lovers.
The movie, which made a lot of promises but delivered little, is still in the headlines in 2023. The former WWE Champion eventually left the series as a result of the power struggle between DC and DJ, and the studio took a completely different turn.
And a recent study describes how the association between Warner Bros. executives and one of the most prominent actors of the modern era gradually soured.
The report highlights that after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, The Rock presented a plan that would make his Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman the focus of DC.
How Dwayne Johnson fell out of favor at DC
According to a report in Variety after Warner Bros completed its merger with DC, The Rock, along with Black Adam producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn, pitched a new direction for the studio to CEO David Zaslav.
The direction would include a multi-year plan for Black Adam and Cavill’s Superman, eventually leading to a big showdown between the two characters. However, this meeting with Zaslav upset those in charge.
An internal source mentioned in the report “Dwayne went around everyone, which didn’t sit well.”
Then there was the move to bring Henry Cavill for a cameo in Black Adam. Former DC head writer Toby Emmerich had shot down the idea in 2018, but DJ later appealed to new Warner Bros. film co-heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy who green-lit Cavill’s appearance.
The Brahma Bull later said he fought to bring Cavill back despite the reluctance of the studio.
This wasn’t all, though. The report further highlights of Johnson’s relationship became bitter with Warner Bros. during Black Adam. In one incident, The Rock insisted on a tequila bar that featured his brand, Teremana, being present at the New York premiere of Black Adam.
This, despite the film being rated PG-13. Then a further dent was put into the already fragile partnership after DJ wanted a producing credit for the animated film “DC League of Super-Pets. However, the actor did not do much to promote it.
Then, as Black Adam failed to do big numbers at the box office, it put hopes of a sequel and The Rock’s future with DC in further doubt. Despite heavy promotion and DJ’s star presence, the movie did a business of $391 million worldwide against a budget of $195 million with $40 million more spent in reshoots.
This has led to many people deeming it a box office failure for the usually reliant Dwayne Johnson. A source for Variety further noted, “His demands increased and the returns just weren’t there.”
Since then there has been a reshuffle at DC. James Gunn and Peter Safran have come in as new heads and wiped the slate clean to begin a new era. Dwayne Johnson announced his exit for the time being from the DC Universe soon after.
This report does offer an insight into what went behind the scenes at DC, but we may not have heard the last of this protracted saga.
Source: essentiallysports.com
