Black Adam Failure Blamed for Ending The Rock’s DC Takeover

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had big plans for the DC Universe — but those ambitions were reportedly cut short after Black Adam failed to impress.

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Johnson’s push to make Black Adam the centerpiece of DC’s film franchise came to a screeching halt after the movie tanked. The article claims that “those talks ended after the star’s DC movie ‘Black Adam’ flopped.” Despite scoring The Rock’s biggest opening weekend ever, the film underdelivered overall and couldn’t win over critics or studio execs.

Johnson was reportedly eyeing a future showdown with Henry Cavill’s Superman as part of his larger vision for the brand. But Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav ended talks with Johnson after the film’s disappointing performance. Instead, the studio brought in James Gunn to lead DC Studios, rebooting the universe and essentially shutting the door on The Rock’s version of the DC roadmap.

In an earlier interview with Kevin Hart, Johnson pointed fingers at behind-the-scenes turmoil. “There’s a vortex of new leadership… that was part of the issue,” he said, referring to the constant shifts at the top of Warner Bros. during the film’s development.

Even though The Rock’s DC takeover fell apart, he’s still sitting in a powerful spot elsewhere. Johnson was recently appointed to the Board of Directors at TKO Group Holdings — the parent company of WWE — where he also regained full rights to his wrestling persona. And on the film side, he’s set to star in The Smashing Machine and has a project in the works with legendary director Martin Scorsese.

The Rock’s Hollywood empire might’ve taken a hit with Black Adam, but don’t expect him to stay down for long. He’s still cashing major checks, landing prestige roles, and pulling boardroom power moves with WWE. DC might’ve slammed the door shut, but The Rock’s next act is already loading — and you better believe he’ll smell what success is cooking next.