As the new DC Universe (DCU) struggles to find its footing—and its future remains uncertain amid the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros.—many are reconsidering the last attempt to bring some of comics’ most iconic characters to the screen. The short-lived DC Extended Universe (DCEU) came to a sudden halt when the studio installed new leadership, raising questions not only about the DCU’s future but also about what might have been.
James Gunn sits for an interview – YouTube, GQ
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In a 2023 interview currently attracting renewed attention online, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears to blame James Gunn’s arrival at DC Studios for ending his plans to reshape the DCEU around Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman.
The Rock Blames a “Vortex of New Leadership”
During an appearance on Kevin Hart’s Hart to Heart, Johnson reflected on why Warner Bros. never moved forward with Black Adam 2. Although he did not mention Gunn by name, he repeatedly pointed to the studio’s changing management.
“I think that Black Adam got caught in a vortex of new leadership,” Johnson said.
Johnson explained that the project endured multiple corporate shakeups while it was being developed and filmed. Warner Bros. eventually merged with Discovery, placing David Zaslav in control of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery.
“When you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who creatively, fiscally are going to make decisions that you may not agree with philosophically,” Johnson said. “So I think Black Adam was one of those movies that got caught in that web of new leadership. And, you know, that will always be one of the biggest mysteries.”
Johnson Compares His DC Exit to an NFL Shakeup
Gunn and producer Peter Safran were appointed co-heads of DC Studios shortly after Black Adam opened in theaters in October 2022. Their arrival effectively ended Johnson’s plans for a sequel and an eventual confrontation with Cavill’s Superman.
Johnson framed his view of the outcome with a sports analogy.
Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel – YouTube, Warner Bros.
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“It’s like new ownership coming in, buying an NFL team and going, ‘Not my coach, not my quarterback,” he said. “Doesn’t matter how many times you won a Super Bowl, doesn’t matter how many rings we got, I’m going with somebody else.'”
That comparison seemingly casts Johnson and Cavill as successful players who were abruptly benched by Gunn and Safran. However, it overlooks the disappointing commercial performance of Black Adam, which earned approximately $393 million worldwide despite its substantial production and marketing expenses. Although the film delivered the biggest opening weekend of Johnson’s career and became one of the stronger performers from the DCEU’s final years, its overall results were closer to making the playoffs than winning a championship.
The Rock Tried to Reshape the DC Universe
Johnson’s account also minimizes his own attempt to seize control of DC’s direction before Gunn and Safran took over.
According to Variety, Johnson directly pitched Zaslav on a multiyear strategy centered on Black Adam and Cavill’s Superman. The two characters would have occupied prominent positions within the DC universe before eventually facing each other.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the 2026 Met Gala – Entertainment Tonight, YouTube
The actor also bypassed then-DC Films president Walter Hamada after Hamada rejected Cavill’s return. Johnson instead approached Warner Bros. Pictures executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved the post-credits cameo.
His efforts briefly succeeded, but they also created internal resistance. Johnson reportedly pushed Black Adam away from his traditional comic book rival, Shazam, while attempting to establish his relatively obscure character as one of DC’s central figures.
Did Black Adam 2 Ever Have a Future?
Gunn ultimately pursued a different strategy, including a younger Superman and a largely rebooted continuity. Black Adam may indeed have been trapped in a leadership transition, as Johnson claims.
Yet at the end of the day, philosophical differences and professional ambition take a back seat to audience response. Black Adam underperformed at the box office, and the film currently holds a 47% “Decent” score on Criticless.
The Rock may blame James Gunn and a shift in corporate leadership for his exit from DC. However, the reality is that Black Adam 2 may never have had much of a future, regardless of who was running the studio.
Do you think James Gunn is the reason The Rock exited DC? Sound off and let us know!
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