Dwayne Johnson is a Hollywood powerhouse. The man created an unmatched brand value by starring in various high-profile tentpole action films and franchises. From the Fast and Furious to Jumanji and more, the actor has dipped his toes in almost every major film franchise, except Marvel.
However, he did attempt to get into the superhero money flow by starring in DC’s Black Adam as its titular character. But that venture didn’t go as planned. The film grossed only $393 million on a humongous budget of $190–260 million. But could the film’s fate have been avoided if Jordan Peele was helming it?
Why Did Jordan Peele Turn Down Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam?
Jordan Peele
As per IMDb, before Jaume Collet-Serra came on board to direct Black Adam, that opportunity was given to Jordan Peele back in 2017. However, the Nope director wasn’t interested. He said, “I’m not a fan of superhero movies and I’d hate to take that chance away from a director who is passionate about them.” Peele has always been clear about his indifference toward superhero films.
Dwayne Johnson
In an interview with Screen Junkies, the writer-director was asked if he will ever work with Marvel. Peele replied that he wasn’t interested in their genre of films and his passion called him towards something else. He said, “My whole life, I’ve been like, ‘Oh, man, wouldn’t it be dope to be a part of one of these great reboots or revivals? Over the past eight years, I’ve come up with four other scripts in the social horror genre.”
The actor-comedian further explained that he wants “to keep making original films” while specializing in horror. He said, “Try to do some elevated horror, fun horror, that says something. I think that’s what I’m here for.” Peele certainly knows what he wants to do in the future. But what about the future of the character of Black Adam?
What’s In Store For Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Next?
James Gunn
At the end of December 2022, Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to announce his departure from the DC franchise. He wished James Gunn, DC, and Marvel the best of luck. But what grabbed fans’ attention was a paragraph that hinted at a possible inclusion of Black Adam in DCU’s future.
Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam
The Rock wrote:
“James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.”
Here’s the tweet:
This will certainly give fans of the character hope for a future appearance. However, with Chapter 1 of DCU rumored to stretch over a decade, Johnson’s words could mean that it will probably be a long time before we see Black Adam next. To make matters worse, thanks to Shazam 2’s dismal box office performance, the character won’t appear in that franchise as well. As such, it’s now a wait-and-watch game to see what happens next.
