Henry Cavill’s Superman Return Was Opposed by Warner Bros., Black Adam's Dwayne Johnson Reveals

Johnson has been at the centre of Cavill’s return to the DC Universe for years.

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by Akhil Arora, David Delima | Updated: 28 November 2022 11:14 IST

Henry Cavill’s Superman Return Was Opposed by Warner Bros., Black Adam's Dwayne Johnson Reveals

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Henry Cavill as Superman in a still from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Highlights

Johnson believes Cavill’s version of Superman is the ‘greatest’
It’s impossible to steer the DC Universe ahead without Superman, he said
Cavill’s return as Superman was reportedly denied by Walter Hamada

Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has revealed that Warner Bros. did not want Henry Cavill back as Superman. In a video celebrating the DC Comics film topping the Apple TV chart in the US, the actor praised Cavill's return during the post-credits scene, before taking some shots at the larger figures at play at DC Films (now DC Studios). “At the end of the day, the studio was not bringing Henry Cavill back — inexplicably and inexcusably,” he said, further stressing that the idea has been years in the making. “But we weren't gonna take no for an answer.”

Johnson then voiced his appreciation for Cavill's take on Superman, calling him the “greatest” and noting that everything in the DC Comics universe circles back to him. “There was no way, there's no viable, logical way that you can attempt to build out the DC Universe without the most powerful force and the greatest superhero of all time sitting on the sidelines. It's impossible to do.” A previous report suggested that Johnson had been hatching the idea for Cavill's return as Superman for the past four years, which was rejected by DC Films president Walter Hamada, who wanted to stray far from Zack Snyder's foundation and continuity.

Sayin' thank ya so much from my ol' pick up truck for all the amazing #BlackAdam support and reactions
#1 movie on iTunes 🔥
We'll remain in theaters as well throughout the holidays 🎅🏾⚡️
Also wanted to give ya some #Superman info 👊🏾
Happy 🦃🍿 pic.twitter.com/WyGa49J7Dr
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 23, 2022

The disapproval drove Johnson to meet with Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved Cavill's inclusion in Black Adam. At the time, Hamada had plans to introduce a Black Superman, based on the fictional US President Calvin Ellis from Earth-23 in DC Comics. The executive has now silently exited the studio and heads the horror genre at Paramount Pictures.

Meanwhile, Cavill confirmed that he's back to play the red-caped superhero, with reports claiming that a Man of Steel sequel is at play in the Warner Bros. Discovery offices. Charles Roven (The Dark Knight) is attached to produce, as a hunt for writers goes on.

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Now that Black Adam and the Justice Society of America (JSA) have been introduced to the public, Johnson intends to start building out the DC Universe “properly, strategically, smartly.” “Again, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe has changed,” he said, referring to the newly appointed co-heads at the brand-new DC Studios, filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. The pair will oversee all upcoming DC Comics movies, shows, and animated projects — the former tends to the creative side, while the latter takes care of things on the business and production end.

Released on October 20, Black Adam grossed a worldwide total of $378.1 million (about Rs. 3,090 crore), as it introduced a bunch of new superheroes to the DC Universe. The film marks The Rock's career-best opening weekend as the lead actor. Black Adam is now available on video-on-demand platforms in the US. An India OTT date is not known.

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Black Adam

Release Date 20 October 2022
Language English
Genre Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Superhero
Cast
Dwayne Johnson, Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, Quintessa Swindell, Pierce Brosnan
Director
Jaume Collet-Serra
Producer
Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Beau Flynn

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Further reading: superman, black adam, dwayne johnson, henry cavill, warner bros, dc comics, dc films, dc studios, dc universe, man of steel 2, hollywood, walter hamada