Given his track record of box office success, not to mention his status as arguably the biggest (and definitely the highest-paid) star in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson is no doubt confident that upcoming DCEU blockbuster Black Adam will be worth the 15 years of waiting since he first became attached to the title role.
However, it would be an understatement to say that many fans of the franchise (and the comic book company in general) have become supremely jaded by the lack of cohesion, constant release date shuffles, creative rejigs, off-camera scandals, and cancellations to have repeatedly dogged Warner Bros.’ multi-billion dollar cash cow over the last couple of years.
An A-list superstar taking top billing in cinema’s most bankable genre in a combination of origin story and expansion sounds like a license to print money if ever there was one, but Johnson admitted on Twitter that he’s only got one shot to make Black Adam work, otherwise he’ll be left with nothing but egg on his face.
Having spent years touting that the hierarchy of power was poised to change, it would be massively embarrassing for The Rock were Black Adam to under-perform at the box office, especially when he’s already been talking up sequels, spinoffs, and further explorations into the far reaches of the character’s lore.
Johnson starring in a superhero blockbuster is surely too big to fail, especially when there’s not much competition at the multiplex when Black Adam arrives in October, but it’s refreshing to see that the former professional wrestler isn’t getting carried away too early.
Published: Aug 17, 2022 03:39 am