Dwayne Johnson Hates This DC Franchise
According to a new report, Peter Safran will have some trouble winning the heart and mind of Dwayne Johnson who apparently has expressed "disdain" for Shazam!
Dwayne Johnson has fought long and hard to bring his Black Adam solo movie to the DCEU. While Black Adam is typically an antagonist to Shazam, we might not be able to count on seeing the two face off anytime soon. MovieWeb reported on an article by The Wrap that states “Safran needs to win over all the other filmmakers…and Dwayne Johnson’s thinly veiled disdain for Shazam means he probably isn’t loving the idea that his boss is now the guy that produces Shazam.”
Of course, this is referring to the recent announcement that James Gunn and Peter Safran would be taking a Kevin Feige-like role in the DCEU, guiding the film universe and making sure there is some continuity. However, if Dwayne Johnson isn’t Shazam’s biggest fan, then there may be some issues bringing the properties together. With that being said, it’s not impossible.
Dwayne Johnson himself has previously spoken on the reason he pushed for a solo Black Adam movie. Johnson has stated in the past that each character should get their own origin story before being brought together instead of just putting them on the same screen because they’re connected in the comics. While there’s certainly some merit to this idea, Shazam and Black Adam will actually need to face off to make the idea payoff.
No matter what happens next in the DCEU, Dwayne Johnson was able to get his Black Adam movie made and there is now a sequel on the way for Shazam! The two characters have been properly introduced, with one already getting a second movie, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t see the two hit the screen together in the near future. Black Adam has been a box office success so far despite mixed reviews, so there’s little doubt we’ll be seeing more of the character in the future.
As for the next time we can see Zachary Levi reprise his role as Shazam, we’ll have to wait until spring of 2023 when the film hits theaters on March 17. Shazam! Fury of the Gods will see the hero teaming up with his foster siblings to take on the daughters of Atlas, played by Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, and Lucy Liu. Hopefully, we can see some forward momentum on Black Adam meeting Shazam with a post-credits scene.
Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam had a post-credits scene of its own that ramped up a ton of fan hype when Henry Cavill’s Superman appeared on screen. If Dwayne Johnson knows what the people want, and he usually does, he could definitely pull off a similar stunt and show up in the post-credits scene for Shazam! Fury of the Gods. This would be an easy way for the DCEU to commit to having the two heroes clash sometime in the future without having to make any concrete plans.
For now, you can check out Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam while it’s still in theaters. The reaction to the film is extremely divided, with the current critic score on Rotten Tomatoes sitting at 40% and the audience score sitting at 90%. You’ll just have to go and check out the film for yourself to see which side of the aisle you land on.