The Rock confirms there is no future for his Black Adam in the DC Universe

Big changes have come to the DC Universe, although it doesn’t seem to be the way Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson imagined his character Black Adam, James Gunn arrives with other plans.

The wrestler-turned-actor released his 15-year-in-development DC Comics movie earlier this year, featuring his titular character Black Adam alongside names from the Justice Society of America such as Hawkman, Doctor Fate, atom smasher Y cyclone. Johnson also successfully lobbied to have Henry Cavill return as Superman for the film, leading to a cameo in Black Adam’s credits scene.

Soon after, Cavill would post a formal announcement of his return on social media. Since the film’s release, much (if not all) of what Black Adam intended to do with the DC universe movies has been erased and Johnson is now releasing a statement about the changes.

It all started back in October when Cavill was revealed to be a part of the DC movie franchise again for the first time since 2017’s Justice League, which got a proper relaunch in the form of Zack Snyder’s Justice League in 2021. Johnson hyped the return as a, “Welcome Home,” for the most iconic comic book character returning to the big screen.

He also shared a desire for a long-term story that didn’t lead directly to his Black Adam character fighting Cavill’s Superman in the next film. Warner Brothers Discovery then hired new leaders for the DC Universe and launched its DC Studios brand. Suicide Squad director James Gunn and The Suicide Squad, Aquaman and Shazam! Producer Peter Safran now serves as co-CEO of DC Studios. With his new vision for the DC Universe, Henry Cavill would be the first major role to be revealed as a recast.

Black Adam ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/b7ZbCJZxBw

—Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 20, 2022

This all leads to Johnson’s statement on Tuesday, which reads in part: “My passionate friends, I wanted to give you a long-awaited update from Black Adam on the character’s future in the new DC Universe. James Gunn and I hooked up, and Black Adam won’t be in the first storytelling chapter of him. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the more valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future chapters of DC’s multiverse.

James and I have known each other for years and have always supported each other to succeed. It’s no different now, and I’ll always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG. You know me, and I have very thick skin, and you can always count on me to be direct with my words.”