Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Dwayne Johnson may have leaned into his role as a heel in the WWE, but he has always been savage in and out of the ring. The actor was in character as the ruthless anti-hero Black Adam on multiple occasions and amped up the persona while promoting the 2022 film. While he was cast in the role in 2014, the actor’s solo film only opened years later to mixed reviews.
Johnson had always been promoting his entry into the DCEU and had spoken about the powerful persona of Black Adam. The actor hyped up his superhero and leaned into his anti-hero persona for promotions. The actor responded to a fan who hyped up Jared Leto’s Joker inSuicide Squadin typical Black Adam fashion.
Dwayne Johnson’s Savage Response To DC Fan’s Hype For Jared Leto’s Joker
Dwayne Johnson’s marketing efforts forBlack Adambegan even before the film was officially greenlit, with the actor hyping up his inclusion in the DCEU ever since he was cast. The actor was first reportedly chosen to play Shazam before he was introduced to his primary antagonist. The actor announced in 2014 that he would be Black Adam in the DCEU (viaVariety).
“I want to push myself”: Dwayne Johnson’s Groundbreaking Vision For ‘The Smashing Machine’ Role After Epic Transformation Promises to Break His One Career Trend
While the film languished in developmental hell for years and a planned appearance inShazamonly resulted in a cameo, Johnson finally got to don his suit in a solo film. The actor mentioned that he had been a fan of the character since he was a kid and because he looked like him and was a “bad*ss”, he gravitated toward the antihero more (viaDC Nation).
While promoting the 2022 film, Johnson put out a video announcing his appearance at the DC panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Johnson claimed Black Adam was the most ruthless and electrifying character in the DC universe. The X (formerly Twitter) page The Ayer Cut replied to that claim with a statement about Jared Leto’s Joker inSuicide Squad.
No, because Black Adam doesn’t give a fuck.
Johnson, in character as the antihero, responded with a savage response that put to bed all speculations about who the most ‘electrifying’ DC character was. Jared Leto’s Joker has always been criticized for its over-the-top presentation. The actor only appeared sparingly inSuicide Squadand then had a cameo inZack Snyder’s Justice League.
Dwayne Johnson’sBlack AdamSequel Was Cancelled Despite The Hype
DC’s mismanagement issues have always been a problem for its films. While Zack Snyder’s planned franchise was constantly meddled with by the studio, changing leaderships and the dissolution of the DCEU led to Henry Cavill having to exit the franchise despite announcing two months prior that he would be returning as Superman.
According to Dwayne Johnson, this was also the reason whyBlack Adamdid not get a sequel. The hyped superhero film was reportedly a box-office disaster, earning only $393 million against an approximately $260 million budget. The film reportedly faced losses as a result of its underwhelming theatrical run (viaVariety).
‘The Smashing Machine’: Dwayne Johnson’s Mind-Boggling Transformation Raises Hopes It Will Deliver One Thing None of His Previous Movies Dared To
Johnson spoke about the sequel and its cancellation on an episode ofHart to Heart,
I think that Black Adam got caught in a vortex of new leadership…It was so many changes in leadership. Anytime you have a company, a publicly traded company, and you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who creatively, fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with, philosophically.
While the film itself received mixed reviews, the Rock’s savage responses and hype for Black Adam’s ‘electrifying’ personality seemed to have not worked for audiences at the time. After James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the heads of the DCU, they mentioned no immediate plans to work on aBlack Adamsequel.
Black Adamis currently streaming on Max.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
