WhenBlack Adamfirst released into theaters in October, the fanfare was tremendously high and bright for the DCU antihero movie that was led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Using the long-term acclaim that he was sure the movie was going to receive, the 50-year-old actor hoped to usher DC Studios into a new age of superhero cinema. Strategically using the influence he established during the 12 years it took to complete the film, the former WWE and WWF champion was successful in bringing backHenry Cavill as Supermanin an end-credit scene that shocked and exalted fans across the globe as well.
For years, a large swath of comic book movie enthusiasts pleaded for his returnand Dwayne Johnsonfinally made that dream come true. The film also collected other heroeslike Doctor Fate, Hawkman, and Cyclone who made their big-screen debut inBlack Adam. With all these highlights, the movie was poised to make due on its promise. Unfortunately, the critical response and box office numbers said otherwise.
Black Adam Didn’t Bring Recognition to the DCU
Failing to secure all the money it had spent after marketing and distribution costs as well asBlack Adammainly receiving verymixed reviews, any hope for a Dwayne Johnson-led DCU was all but lost. Just days after quickly sliding down every theatrical scale, Warner Brothers decided to give the reins of their film division over to former Marvel director James Gunn and British-American producer Peter Safran.
Following this announcement, solemn was heard from The Rock regarding Black Adam’s future until December when he released a statement on his official Twitter account, where he not only thanked fans for the continuing support and was proud of the film that was released after 12 years in the making, but explicitly made clear that the character of Black Adam will not be featured in James Gunn’s first chapter of DCU storytelling.
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With some of the public quite alright with a clean slate, others are completely done with DC Studios’ constant flip-flopping on creative decisions. This response shows a very questionable future for Black Adam as a character in the cinematic world going forward. With Dwayne Johnson himself being ridiculed for using Cavill as cannon fodder towards his placement for leadership in the DCU, it is unknown whether the current helm will bring him in again to play the antihero whose morals are gray. Even before that comes into play though, comic book fans all around the world are wondering if and where the character will be placed in James Gunn’s reimagined DC Universe.
Switching Sides Could Be the Key
With a handful of powerful superheroes confirmed to be leaping from the previous guard to this new reboot and a few others rumored by Gunn himself, the former champion wizard has plenty of opportunity to make his name once more. In a comic series titledThe Power of Shazam, Black Adam not only lends The Flash his powers to defeat Johnny Sorrow, a scorned silent film actor who found himself with subspace powers but also, later on, The Sin-Eater, a demon from Hawkman’s world. Given the fact thatThe Flashmovie is arriving soon, and the character will be introducing multiple timelines, a Black Adam cameo might suffice wounded fans. After all, we did have Justice League members show up at the end ofPeacemaker.
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Speaking about Justice Society of America members, there is a story arc in JSA where Black Adam actually reverts to being an all-out hero. While he doesn’t consistently remain in this mindset, nothing was ever crossed out about bringing back the other members of the JSA, so there is a chance we see an earlier iteration of the team later on in James Gunn’s retooled DCU where they run into an alternate Black Adam. While the rest of the team doubts his intentions, his friendship with Atom Smasher leads him to form his own more ruthless version of the Justice League of America.
Since the characters are all still familiar in fans’ minds, solely reintroducing Atom Smasher to later bring in a refreshed Black Adam might be the ticket he needs. Especially since nobody had anything bad to say about Noah Centineo’s interpretation of the character and the fact that Gunn seems more intrigued with focusing on smaller, supporting characters.
Going for more of an expanded reach, Black Adam could be a villain in a future team-up movie consisting of other superhero teams. In a story arc calledWorld War III, after he is freed from torture by the Science Squad, who plan to sell him to the highest bidder, it takes the likes ofthe Doom Patrol, the Teen Titans, Green Lantern, and Phantom Stranger among others to bring him down. The former god could very well become DC’s version of Thanos.
Seeing how widely diverse this character is regarding the many heroes and villains he has interacted with over the years, it’s easy to see that Black Adam could be placed anywhere and instantly become a challenge for any DC icon. Comic book fans can ultimately see what happens when James Gunn’s full slate of new DC movies releases early next year.
