With San Diego Comic-Con fast approaching, the DCEU has, unsurprisingly, doled out a heaping helpful of minutiae throughout the last month or so. Unfortunately, however, although up until this point, the particulars have been overwhelmingly positive – which is certainly something to take note of considering the once dispiriting trajectory of the shared universe – yesterday brought word that you indeed can’t always get what you want.
While the first Aquaman trailer will be made available for public consumption – following an appearance at the “largest convention of its kind in the world,” of course – and footage from Patty Jenkins’ hotly-anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 expected to follow suit, another cog in the immediate future of the DCEU was dealt a moderately devastating blow.
Having just received confirmation that Billy Batson would indeed be stopping by San Diego Comic-Con, trailer in hand – mere hours, mind you, after the first official look at Zachery Levi in costume arrived – Dwayne Johnson, who’s been cast as Black Adam in the DC Extended Universe, asserted that his beloved antihero will not be making an appearance in Shazam!
During a sit-down with SyFy Wire, Johnson first assured the disgruntled fandom that his solo feature is a certainty, before admitting “I’m not in that one.” With “that one” being Shazam!
“I’m not in that one. It’s Shazam and Black Adam and, with the way the DC universe works, we should — in theory — meet up on the big screen. But who knows.”
Granted, this isn’t the first time Black Adam’s appearance in the feature has been openly denied. Just last year, Shazam! director David F. Sandberg stated: “The Rock has been cast as Black Adam, but he’s not going to be featured in this film.” Still, the recurrence of repudiation likely won’t take any of the bite out of Johnson’s snubbing.