Even though “Black Adam” hasn’t even officially hit theaters yet, there’s already lots of buzz about the film’s end-credits scene. So, a spoiler alert if it’s not apparent to the reader what that scene entails: Henry Cavill returns as Superman to stare down Dwayne Johnson‘s Black Adam. Is this the face-off that changes the DCEU‘s fortunes? Based on The Playlist’s review of the film, don’t bet on it.
But don’t expect bad reviews for ‘Black Adam’ to stop Johnson, his longtime producer Hiram Garcia, and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav from charging full-steam ahead with the Superman vs. Black Adam storyline. Variety (via CinemaBlend) reports that neither Garcia or Johnson see a fight between the two superheroes as a “one-off” movie, but rather a tentpole for future DCEU projects. “It’s never been about a one-off or just about a fight,” Garcia told CinemaBlend. “No, it’s about so much more than that. We really wanted to craft a long-form of storytelling and show that these two characters exist in the same universe and are going to have to deal with each other often, either on the same or opposite sides.” So, in other words, expect a lot more Dwayne Johnson in future DC projects, for good and ill.
But Garcia added that multiple fights between Black Adam and Superman would be a dream come true for fans. “Hopefully they’re going to clash at some point, but it’s not going to be a ‘one fight’ situation,” Gracia continued. “That was never our dream. That does not reward the fans. Fans want to feel a journey between these guys knowing that these guys exist in the same universe.” Garcia’s comments echo Johnson’s to CinemaBlend earlier this month: “I have been listening and I’ve been wanting to address fans for years” regarding their desire to see Black Adam and Superman fight. One doubts fans have been clamoring for a Black Adam-Superman duel for years, but this may be the narrative Johnson uses for his DCEU involvement moving forward.
Also, it’s unclear who these fans are that want to see this showdown outside of Johnson and Garcia, who clearly envision a lot of money coming their way from the clash. But Johnson insisted that this indeed has been something superhero fans have wanted for way too long. “I’ve been waiting for someone to step up and address the fans and say, ‘Hey, we hear you,'” Johnson continued. “So finally, after many months turned into many years, we ended up with what we ended up at. And the whole goal and intention now is to this new era, new time. Now let’s build out.”
Moviegoers will soon discover what that “build out” entails after the opening weekend numbers for “Black Adam” go public. But given advance reviews, don’t expect this Dwayne Johnson vehicle to fix the DCEU’s myriad issues. “Black Adam” opens in theaters tomorrow.
