Following a lengthy post on his social media accounts, Dwayne Johnson’s statement on his DCU future as Black Adam has been addressed by James Gunn, with the DC Studios head suggesting that any further collaborations will not be part of any immediate plans. However, Gunn and Johnson both seem to share a deep respect for each other as can be seen in their exchange. In his response, Gunn said:
“Love [The Rock] & I’m always excited to see what he & Seven Bucks do next. Can’t wait to collaborate soon.”
Between Gunn’s comment and Johnson’s original statement, it is clear that Black Adam’s position as a hierarchy changer is no longer true of his DC role. Whether he will be part of the central DCU at some point is unclear, but one popular theory is that DC Studios may be working to bring a Crisis on Infinite Earths story to the big screen after it was previously played out on The CW as part of the Arrowverse. With Johnson mentioning that Black Adam could have a role to play in “DC Multiverse chapters”, it certainly does sound that this kind of crossover event will be the only way Black Adam will appear in future inside the DCU.
Is Dwayne Johnson Really Coming Back To The DCU?
Dwayne Johnson is not used to being pushed to one side in any movie. Despite making his debut as one of the worst CG characters ever realized on screen in The Mummy Returns, the actor has rarely appeared in anything since where he is not front and center. When it comes to his Black Adam future, even after his statement and James Gunn’s comments it is hard to work out whether he will have a role to play or not.
What is clear is that the big Black Adam vs Superman dream is over, but where that leaves him is a bit more murky. In his statement, Johnson noted that “DC and Seven Bucks has agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized.” While on the surface that sounds positive, it doesn’t seem to be a guarantee of that happening and just the notion that it “will be explored.” Johnson’s further comment about the DCU story being told through “their vision” and “their creative lens” really does suggest that things have not panned out how Johnson would have liked. However, James Gunn’s comments make it clear that he is looking forward to collaborating with Johnson, but doesn’t give any indication of where that could lie when it comes to the new DCU.
In the end, there is still a lot up in the air when it comes to the DCU’s upcoming movies and TV shows. With Gunn having previously suggested that there will be an announcement about some of this in the new year, it probably won’t be long before we discover what kind of path is being laid out for the franchise. It seems almost certain that Johnson will not be part of those first announcements, and it could be a number of years before we potentially see Black Adam again, if at all.