‘Black Adam’ Star Dwayne Johnson Blasts Old Warner Bros. Regime For “Inexcusable” Decision Of Not Using Henry Cavill As Superman

Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) and Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) about to settle their differences in Black Adam (2022), Warner Bros. Pictures

What was first believed to be a scheduling problem and later a money issue did in fact turn out to be stonewalling by Warner Bros. and DC studio executives who did not want Henry Cavill as their Superman. The root of this fiasco was cleared up by Dwayne Johnson once Black Adam was in theaters and its post-credit sequence’s details were revealed.

Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is imprisoned in the Task Force X Black Site underwater facility in Black Adam (2022), Warner Bros. Pictures

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With the film wrapping up a theatrical run and heading to VOD, Johnson isn’t holding back about what it took to “establish” Black Adam as a force to be reckoned with. Nor is he restrained about his feelings toward the pre-Discovery regime at WarnerMedia for their “inexcusable” shuffling of feet on the Cavill front. To say they were tepid doesn’t cut it.

In a Twitter video, the self-proclaimed “Great One” laid everything bare. “If we’re gonna establish Black Adam as the most powerful, unstoppable force in the DC universe, we have to bring back the most powerful, unstoppable force of all time in any universe,” he said, hinting at the Man of Steel. “And you guys know who I’m talking about.”

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He adds, “Of course, that is Superman, and that’s Henry Cavill. And at the end of the day, the studio was not bringing Henry Cavill back, inexplicably and inexcusably. But we weren’t going to take no for an answer. Myself, my Seven Bucks co-founder and chairwoman, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia…This has been years in the making regarding bringing Henry Cavill back.”

No was never going to be an acceptable answer but Johnson and his Seven Bucks crew were hearing it for years. However, he knew you can’t build a new DC Universe without Superman. “And also…for us, there was no way, there’s no viable, logical way…to build out the DC universe without the most powerful force and the greatest superhero of all time…” he explained.

Superman (Henry Cavill) faces Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Entertainment

Johnson continued, “It’s impossible to do. You can Venn diagram, business-wise, this whole thing 90 different times. But it all comes back to, ‘Where’s Superman?’ You have to have Superman in the mix. So that’s why we fought hard to bring Superman back, Henry Cavill,” whom he and many consider the rightful Man of Steel in this generation.

“And there was no other Superman, by the way, to bring back. Henry Cavill is our generation’s Superman and, in my opinion, the greatest Superman. And I mean that respectfully to the other actors, especially Christopher Reeve,” he said. “But the greatest Superman of all time. So again, bringing Henry back, now we build out the DC universe properly, strategically, smartly.”

A powered up Superman (Henry Cavill) is determined to fight Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros. Entertainment

RELATED: ‘Black Adam’ Star Dwayne Johnson Hints Former Warner Bros. Executives Declined Henry Cavill’s Return In Favor of J.J. Abrams’ BIPOC Superman

Johnson says they have made progress to that end by establishing Black Adam “around the world as the most powerful and dominant, unstoppable force in the DC universe. That is a fact.” Likewise, he believes they have elevated “the Justice Society around the world too.” He added, “And of course, we have new leadership at DC and at Warner Bros.”

Johnson reiterates his main mantra of the past two years: “Again, the hierarchy of power in the DC universe has changed.” He then declares “it’s a new era in the DC universe.” Maybe, but the place of Black Adam in it could be rethought after the film’s paltry box office numbers, although digital home video rentals might salvage Seven Bucks’ undertaking.

Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is welcomed by the mercenary organization Intergang in Black Adam (2022), Warner Bros. Pictures

While there is a rumor of creative friction between Johnson’s camp and James Gunn, who’s now in charge at DC Studios, Gunn may still have plans for Black Adam. We can’t confirm he’s met with Henry Cavill yet but the latter is willing to sit down with him and discuss his hope for a joyful future with Superman in the DCEU.

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