There won’t be any Black Adam v. Superman fight nor a Justice Society film to look forward to anymore as the DCU starts anew under James Gunn.
Black Adam intended to reshape the DCU, but now it seems that nothing it teased will be coming to pass anymore. In the weeks leading up to the film’s release in October 2021, star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson naturally took every opportunity to hype up the film, claiming Black Adam would change the hierarchy of power within the DC Universe. In a way, he was correct. Shortly following Black Adam’s mixed reviews and relatively poor performance at the box office, it was revealed that James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed as the heads of DC Studios. Together they would relaunch the DCU with a “broad but not blanket reset.”
Gunn and Safran’s DC Universe movie and TV show announcements do just that. There’s still a little of the old, such as Viola Davis returning for Waller, and The Flash movie will reset some things but not everything. Black Adam, however, would fall under the “some things” umbrella, with no clear future as it stands for Johnson to return. That makes sense for the DC Universe’s future, not least with its plans for Superman, but at the same time means there are lots of things teased and setup by Black Adam that are no longer going to happen.
5Henry Cavill’s Superman Return
Despite starring The Rock, one of the most lucrative action stars in Hollywood, the most important moment in Black Adam focuses on someone else. As many had theorized earlier, Henry Cavill finally made his triumphant return as Superman in Black Adam, although only in a brief cameo. His status was constantly in flux, and for a while, it appeared that Cavill’s time had passed, even though he was perfectly suited for the role. Nevertheless, while Black Adam brought him back, Gunn has different ideas, and the new DCU is restarting with a new Superman. It’s a shame that after all Cavill did for the role, he was quickly abandoned again.
This does mean that there will be no Man of Steel 2. Gunn is currently developing Superman: Legacy, a new movie that will focus on a younger side of the hero. As such, they are looking for someone with longevity who can helm the franchise for a long time and develop in the role – that could still describe Cavill, but he won’t don the cape again. Incidentally, Cavill has a bright future ahead of him with his Warhammer series in development. It’s also possible that Marvel will snatch him up, especially as a Superman pastiche like Hyperion or Sentry, though Captain Britain might be the best fit.
4Black Adam vs. Superman
Dwayne Johnson clearly wanted one thing from Black Adam – to fight Superman. That won’t be on the table anytime soon. Not even a Black Adam vs. Shazam fight is on the horizon, and they are actual adversaries with linked origins and powers. It’s unknown whether the idealized conflict between Black Adam and Superman was intended to be part of Black Adam 2 or Man of Steel 2. Presumably, Johnson would’ve preferred the former, so Black Adam could defeat Superman. Regardless, neither is happening. Johnson’s Black Adam could have a future following DCU Chapter 1, but it’s a long shot right now.
Intriguingly, Black Adam was actually the second film in 2022 starring Johnson that ended with a post-credits scene teasing conflict between Black Adam and Superman. DC League of Super-Pets did it first. Given the animated film’s success, a sequel is possible and, in that, Johnson could finally get what he wants. Conversely, the new DCU should instead focus on establishing Superman as a franchise leader and not overcomplicate it by bringing in Black Adam, especially not without Shazam involved.
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3Amanda Waller’s Superman Connection
Amanda Waller is basically the DCU’s Nick Fury as confirmed by Black Adam. Despite her association with Task Force X from the Suicide Squad films, Viola Davis’ Waller was being used to unite disparate storylines and characters. In Black Adam she was shown to be critically linked with the Justice Society and to have Superman in her pocket somehow. Surely, as the franchise continued to develop, it intended to shed more light on this connection. Perhaps it will still come into play in the old DCU’s 2023 slate, but questions related to Waller may remain unanswered.
Thankfully, Davis, who made the character so much more dynamic and engaging than she might seem on the surface, is not being let go. Instead, she’s getting a TV show that sits between Peacemaker seasons 1 and 2. Peacemaker helped set up Waller’s spin-off by introducing Waller’s daughter, Leota Adebayo, who publicly disclosed her mother’s bad deeds. Exactly how all of this comes together in the new DC Universe canon is unclear, but with a new Superman on the horizon it seems unlikely the Black Adam connection will be explained or followed-up on.
2Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman Spinoff
Amidst the problems plaguing Black Adam, there were some highlights – particularly Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman. He was an unexpected delight as the leader of the Justice Society, and surely shortly following Black Adam’s release, it seems likely that he could be getting his own spin-off. Hawkman stood out compared to his fellow heroes thanks in no small part to his overall design and effects during the action sequences, although Black Adam omitted Hawkman’s classic reincarnation lore. Hodge imbued the character with a sense of strength and experience while still maintaining a relatively light-hearted energy. All in all, Hawkman is a character who would surely inspire interest in his future projects.
Despite his storied history in the comics, debuting alongside the original Flash in 1940, it took a decade for Hawkman to finally feature in the DCU. That cannot be the same in the new franchise. There is so much more to explore with the hero, especially in tandem with his popular counterpart. Hawkgirl should eventually be a central figure in the new DCU with Hawkman, whether as members of the JSA, Justice League, or completely on their own. As such, Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman must be kept in the transition, even if that means putting a much-deserved Hawkman movie on hold till the time is right.
RELATED:Black Adam Would Work Better Without The Rock
1More Justice Society Of America Tales
Johnson was vocal that Black Adam was going to set up exciting things for the Justice Society beyond a potential Hawkman film. With their established connection to Amanda Waller, generations of heroes, and the question of how they relate to the seemingly-inactive Justice League, the JSA was primed for its own film series. Even individually, the JSA could’ve helmed their own projects, especially Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate. That specifically seemed like a likely outcome of Black Adam. However, the foundational changes might affect all of this as the franchise essentially reverts to square one.
Intriguingly, however, James Gunn does seem somewhat interested in keeping the JSA around, or at least specific members like Mister Terrific, according to his Twitter. A new Mister Terrific film could reestablish the Justice Society, picking apart what did and didn’t work from Black Adam or what doesn’t meld with the franchise’s new parameters. Whatever the case, as they have to first get the supreme headliners like Superman and Batman right, the JSA doesn’t look like being part of the plans for a good while.Black Adam established them and other storylines with relatively enticing futures, but now they’re all on a different trajectory heading into the new DCU.
