Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has spoken out against Warner Bros. for forcing him out of the DC Universe. In an interview with Kevin Hart on the Hart to Heart Peacock talk show, Johnson said that he was “disappointed” by the decision and that he felt it was “one of the biggest mysteries” in the business
Johnson said that Black Adam, his film about the anti-hero DC character, was “caught in a vortex of new leadership” at Warner Bros. He said that the film was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that there were “so many changes in leadership” during its development and release.
Johnson went on to criticize the choices that Warner Bros. executives made after the film’s release. He said that he felt the film was a success and that it had the potential to grow into a franchise. He also said that he wanted to bring back Henry Cavill as Superman in the DC Universe, but that Warner Bros. executives were not interested.
“That was a question out of Wall Street, that was a question out of Hollywood, that was a question like ‘Wait a second, you had the biggest opening of your career, sure no China, that could have been a maybe $100, maybe $200 million more. You’re establishing a new superhero, you want to grow out the franchise, you bring back Superman and Henry Cavill – the world went crazy,” Johnson said.
Johnson likened the experience to “new ownership” taking over a football team and saying, “Not my head coach and not my quarterback.” He said that he was “disappointed” by the decision and that he felt it was “one of the biggest mysteries” in the business.
It is unclear why Warner Bros. decided to not move forward with more Black Adam projects. However, Johnson’s comments suggest that the decision may have been made by new executives who were not familiar with the film or its potential.
The decision to not move forward with Black Adam is a blow to Johnson and to fans of the character. Black Adam was a critical and commercial success, and it had the potential to be a major franchise for Warner Bros. However, it appears that the film’s success was not enough to overcome the internal politics at Warner Bros.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Black Adam and Dwayne Johnson in the DC Universe. However, Johnson’s comments suggest that he is not happy with the way things have turned out.
