Warner Bros. Discovery is in the final stages of preparation for the release of its next film in the DC Extended Universe, Black Adam, which will bring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's long-awaited DC debut. But on top of his star power, the DC fandom has been focused on the potential return of another heavy-hitter from Warner Bros.' superhero franchise - Henry Cavill's Superman.
Completely missing from the DCEU since 2017's Justice League and Zack Snyder's 2021 director's cut on HBO Max, Cavill is at the top of most fans' wishlists for the franchise as it keeps struggling to find its footing amongst excellent superhero competition. But looking at recent reports about Black Adam, there's a chance that The Rock's DC arrival could change that status for Superman.
If rumors are to be believed, Cavill is set for an appearance in the post-credits scene for this new DC outing as two of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe come face-to-face. However, some controversy behind that moment has revealed itself in the latest round of news surrounding Johnson's pet project.
New Details on Black Adam's Post-Credits Scene
The Hollywood Reporter detailed how Black Adam star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is deeply involved with Henry Cavill's return to the DC Extended Universe as Superman.
Initially, Cavill's appearance as Superman was not included for Black Adam, instead developed during a round of reshoots for the new blockbuster earlier in the year. However, that idea was canned by then-President of DC Films Walter Hamada, who had worked to move past the Zack Snyder era of DC storytelling.
Hamada had his own plans for the Man of Steel, one of which featured a Black Superman with a multi-decade-spanning story penned by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
However, Johnson went over Hamada's head and straight to current chairpeople Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved the move. The scene with Cavill was then shot in mid-September after meeting the Warner-induced deadline of Labor Day.
This comes in the midst of Hamada's final days with Warner Bros. Discovery, as he's currently closing out his Burbank studio lot office ahead of his last day this upcoming week. He was not in attendance for the New York premiere of Black Adam on October 12.
DC Brings New Controversy With Black Adam
Warning - The rest of this article contains potential spoilers for Black Adam.
Almost no single character has caused as much controversy as Superman for Warner Bros., which is particularly shocking considering he's arguably the face of DC Comics alongside Batman. This remains the case even with Cavill reportedly set to make his long-awaited comeback in Black Adam, as Johnson had to do everything in his power to even make it possible for the Man of Steel to have an appearance in this film.
Cavill has even made it publicly clear that he wants to continue playing the role in the DC Universe, but with Walter Hamada's aversion to including him in DC's future, fans were unsure if this take on Clark Kent would ever see the light of day again. And even while it's still unclear what Cavill actually does in Black Adam, having him onboard will hopefully bring fans back onto Warner Bros. Discovery's side as the franchise is reworked.
Even though all of this news is in the past, it shines a light on just how jumbled and discombobulated WBD was when it came to listening to what the fans wanted, especially with Cavill being on the sidelines for most of the last five years. What comes of his inclusion in Black Adam is still a mystery, even though he's reportedly set to reprise his role in a long-awaited Man of Steel 2, but only time will tell how these details work themselves out.
Black Adam will premiere in theaters on Friday, October 21.
