Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson and James Gunn confirm that 'Black Adam' won't get a sequel, but the door is still open for Johnson to make waves in the DCU.

The actor seems married to Black Adam as his only DC superhero role; in the years-long lead-up to the movie, Johnson talked a big game about always aspiring to be Superman, but having a hint of darkness that kept him from truly relating to the role. Still, the door is open for Johnson to return in whatever capacity Gunn deems fit. That’s a lot of money, but accounting for production costs, it’s simply not enough to shock the superhero system. He then thanked fans for their support, saying, “I will always look back on the fan reaction to Black Adam with tremendous gratitude, humility, and love.” “I wanted to give [fans] a long-awaited Black Adam update regarding the character’s future in the new DC Universe,” Johnson wrote. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.”

The Rock said that "Black Adam" won't be part of the "first chapter" of the new DC film universe after it disappointed at the box office.

But it's also one of the biggest testaments yet that a popular actor playing a superhero doesn't automatically make a movie a hit. "Black Adam," though, struggled to maintain momentum, and the movie didn't receive a China release. While Black Adam isn't part of Gunn and Safran's DC vision right now, they have announced some of their plans. On paper, "Black Adam" combined two ingredients that are typically box office gold: comic-book movies and Johnson. While Johnson said that he's agreed to explore how Black Adam can fit into the future of the new DC film universe, it seems like this puts an end to any immediate plans for his return. Gunn and Safran are obviously [looking to start fresh](https://www.businessinsider.com/early-plan-emerges-for-dcs-superman-batman-other-movies-2022-12), even scrapping Henry Cavill's Superman and a third "Wonder Woman" movie.

As part of the wave of changes happening at DC Studios under the new leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, Johnson has revealed that any plans for future ...

Gunn and Safran were hired by Warner Bros in October to revamp the troubled DC screen division. The sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, was less financially successful, released during the pandemic with a box office of US$169 million. Johnson spent 15 years trying to get Black Adam made at various stages, and bringing the character to screen has been a passion project. Which makes the decision to rest the character an easy one, despite Johnson’s personal popularity. However, DC and [Johnson’s production company] Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilised in future DC multiverse chapters. It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and win big.

Today, the trade reports that though the film's original budget was set at $190 million by the studio, it quickly shot up to an eye-watering $260 million ...

The report comes alongside the film’s star Dwayne Johnson announcing yesterday that plans for a sequel were halted and will not be moving forward any time soon. Today, the trade reports that though the film’s original budget was set at $190 million by the studio, it quickly shot up to an eye-watering $260 million following a twenty-day round of reshoots as the result of a poor test screening. For some time now, the film’s official production budget has been touted as $195 million, with some fudging either a little above or below that depending upon the outlet.

A new report from The Hollywood Reporter notes that the first film will not be profitable just from its theatrical run.

While previous reports have cited that the potential for future films might have helped Warner Bros. Originally set at $190 million, the report mentions that costs for the film quickly shot up to $260 million following a 20-day round of reshoots that stemmed from a poor test screening. That, combined with the rumored $70 million cost for reshoots, means the film won’t turn a profit from just its theatrical run.

https://youtu.be/dDmPjvCu-ds One of the major talking points surrounding James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water is the 13-year gap between the movie and ...

Unfortunately, even with a 15-year development cycle, Black Adam was critically panned and became a commercial failure. Many fans and critics alike have speculated if Avatar's long layoff will hinder the film's $2 billion aims, as The Way of Water has to become one of the most successful movies of all time to become profitable. One of the major talking points surrounding James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water is the 13-year gap between the movie and its predecessor.

Dwayne Johnson confirmed that Black Adam is not a part of the new DCU, but James Gunn is looking forward to future collaborations.

“Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story and best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years,” he wrote in a previous tweet, defending the duo's decisions. [Johnson first shared his statement on Black Adam](https://gamerant.com/dwayne-johnson-statement-black-adam-future-james-gunn-dc-universe/), confirming that he had met with Gunn to discuss the DCU and that “Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling.” Johnson brought Cavill back as Superman, and with the latter no longer a part of the DCU, fans expected Johnson to go next. It was first confirmed that [Cavill will not return as Superman](https://gamerant.com/henry-cavill-not-returning-superman-dc-universe/) in the DCU, and now Johnson's fate has also been revealed. Johnson's message revealed that “DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.” Gunn also spoke about collaborating in the future. [Black Adam](https://gamerant.com/tag/black-adam/) was first released, fans were excited to see Henry Cavill return as Superman and were looking forward to seeing what happens next. Filmmaker James Gunn has been in the news a lot since he took over his new position at DC.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson revealed that 'Black Adam' will not get a sequel as soon as he hoped — everything to know.

“James and I have known each other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed,” Johnson added. "As for more answers about the future of the DCU, I will sadly have to ask you to wait. “It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG.” The Teremana Tequila founder continued: "You guys know me and I have very thick skin — and you can always count on me to be direct with my words. "Peter & I chose to helm DC Studios knowing we were coming into a fractious environment, both in the stories being told & in the audience itself & there would be an unavoidable transitional period as we moved into telling a cohesive story across film, TV, animation, and gaming," he explained. We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us. “However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.” Gunn, 56, and Peter Safran were named the new co-chairmen and chief executive officers of DC Studios in late October. Johnson took to Twitter on December 7 to state that the film is expected to turn a profit. “James Gunn and I connected and, Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling,” the Red Notice star, 50, wrote in a lengthy statement via Instagram on Tuesday, December 20. “It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG.” Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shared "a long-awaited Black Adam update regarding the character's future in the DC Universe" just two months after his first film hit theaters — and it's not exactly good news. The Teremana Tequila founder continued: “You guys know me and I have very thick skin — and you can always count on me to be direct with my words. After 15 years of relentless hard work to finally make Black Adam with tremendous gratitude, humility and love.

A new report from The Wrap's Umberto Gonzalez reveals that Dwayne Johnson declined a chance to appear in another DC property.

Gonzalez notes that Garcia “politely declined” the opportunity, however, meaning the new member of the DC Universe will not be in the upcoming film. It will be followed by The Flash, starring the troubled Ezra Miller, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While Johnson did note that opportunities for Black Adam to appear in future films would arise, it’s unclear exactly when that will be.