While Dwayne Johnson is presently preparing for the release of his long-awaited Black Adam in the coming weeks, he's also taking an expanding role behind the scenes with the DC Universe as a whole. This comes as the company searches for a new leader during its merger with Discovery, and it appears that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is in mind for the mold.
While Feige is firmly set in his role with Marvel Studios as the MCU expands to new heights in the Multiverse Saga, Warner Bros. Discovery is in search of a figure like him to help organize the DC Universe into a cohesive franchise. Unfortunately, the most recent reports about that search haven't been promising as the company continues reworking its plan for DC's biggest characters.
Now, as The Rock gets ready for the stretch run with Black Adam's promotional tour, he's also taken a look at that situation and how, as he puts it, the hierarchy of power behind the DC Universe will change.
Dwayne Johnson on DC Leadership Plan
Speaking with ComicBook, Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson addressed the change in leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery as the DC Universe goes through some major adjustments.
When looking back at the changes that have affected Black Adam over the years, Johnson reminisced on how hard he's fought for this movie to happen. The biggest thing was getting everybody on board and being "comfortable with taking a real risk," especially with Black Adam not being as familiar of a character as DC's other heavy hitters:
Davis: “And you’ve been attached to this role for like a decade now. We’ve talked about this. But in that decade, I mean, there have been a lot of changes behind the scenes, both for the plans for this movie, for the executives at the studio. I’d love to hear, have there been any quantifiable, tangible changes that have affected Black Adam over the years? Or has this been exactly where you were always going?”
Johnson: “Well, that’s a great question, Brandon. And I know that you love, and you understand the inner mechanisms of studios and how they work, so a few things. I think that we have landed exactly where we need to be. I do believe, like Doctor Fate, ‘Fate doesn’t make mistakes.’ Black Adam happened when it needed to happen. And it happened ten years later. But man, I have been fighting for this thing. I’ve been pushing hard for this thing. And it’s a little easier for studios, and I get it and I understand the economics of it, well, this thing makes money. Batman, Superman, Batman vs. Superman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Aquaman 2… So it’s a matter of just getting our partners to be comfortable with taking a real risk. It’s okay that the world has no idea, years ago, who Black Adam is. That’s up to us to do the storytelling. It’s okay.
He also took another look into Black Adam as a character, noting how he can go "pound for pound and toe-to-toe with Superman in terms of powers" while also rising from his background as a slave before meeting the Justice Society of America:
"But if you look deeply, man, into the DC bible, this guy over here, Black Adam, who, yes, I understand the world doesn’t know, but he goes pound for pound and toe-to-toe with Superman in terms of powers. And his background and his backstory is that he’s a slave, that’s a whole other different psychology, man. And then not only that, but then you have the JSA, you have all these incredible characters. Let’s go for it. Let’s give it to the people. Let’s build out this universe."
To close, Johnson shared confidence that Warner Bros. Discovery is "we’re gonna land on some leadership for the DC side," a hopeful update following the reports that the studio's Kevin Feige-inspired plan may face hurdles:
"So today. I feel really confident in the new leadership that’s in here now at Warner Bros. and actively looking now for a… we’re gonna land on some leadership for the DC side, too. So this idea that I’ve been saying for about a year now, about, ‘Hey, this is a new era in the DC universe.’ It’s a new era there, it’s a new era in Black Adam. You saw the end of Black Adam, that’s a new era too as well that we’re bringing in. So I feel good.”
Johnson More Involved with DC Moving Forward?
It's no secret how long Dwayne Johnson has worked on bringing Black Adam to life, as it's been in some stage of production for the better part of the last decade. But now, through all that work, it appears that he's ingrained himself more deeply in the fabric of the DC Universe as a whole behind the scenes as well, although nothing official has been announced in that regard.
Johnson's place in entertainment is unlike any actor out there, owning numerous businesses and finding himself in the spotlight through various avenues even outside of movies themselves.
And while he didn't share any specific updates on DC's "Kevin Feige" search, he made it clear that he's letting his voice be heard as the company tries to figure out another new plan for the expansive DC story that's struggled over the last few years. Hopefully, with his hard work and expertise in the movie industry, he'll be able to push that search forward while also adding his own flavor to DC's heroes and villains on the big and small screen.
Black Adam will debut in theaters on Friday, October 21.
