Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson appears to have turned down an offer to reprise his super-powered role in next year's DC Universe solo movie, The Flash.
Johnson's Black Adam finally hit theaters in October 2022, although it's had a rough go during its theatrical run, only earning about $390 million at the box office against a $195 million production budget and an $80-$100 million marketing budget. While the future of the DCU looks to be drastically different under DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran, rumors have indicated that Johnson's relationship with WBD hasn't been all positive in recent months.
Johnson has only made one appearance in the DCU thus far with his leading role in Black Adam. Reports have even noted that he turned down a chance to reprise his role in 2023's Shazam!: Fury of the Gods.
Now, it seems that rejection from Johnson is becoming a trend as a new rumor indicated The Rock might not be a fan of making any sort of DC cameo.
The Rock Reportedly Declined The Flash Cameo
The Wrap's Umberto Gonzales revealed that Dwayne Johnson turned down the opportunity to make a cameo appearance as Black Adam in 2023's The Flash.
When the movie was first filming, Hiram Garcia, the president of Johnson's 7 Bucks Production company, was asked if Johnson could make an appearance in The Flash, which Garcia "politely declined" on behalf of the actor:
"One last #BlackAdam nugget, according to my sourcing, way back when The Flash was originally shooting, 7 Bucks Production President Hiram Garcia was asked if Dwayne can do a cameo as Black Adam in the movie, however Garcia "politely declined"
Will Johnson Ever Appear as Black Adam Again?
On one side of the argument, WBD is certainly pulling back on many of its original plans for The Flash with the current era of the DCU ending next year. A cameo featuring Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman has already reportedly been removed from the film, as has an appearance by Henry Cavill's Superman following his exit from the role.
But on the other hand, this continues to indicate that Dwayne Johnson's relationship with DC Studios may be on its way to ending after suffering heavy losses financially and critically with Black Adam.
Even with Johnson being one of the biggest movie stars in the industry, his tendency to turn down cameo appearances in non-Black Adam movies could undoubtedly be seen as concerning. Johnson has also announced that he's moving away from the DC Universe for the foreseeable future, which could put any hope for his return in serious doubt.
More news regarding DC's upcoming slate will be revealed in January 2023, but with Johnson's reluctance to appear in other corners of the DC Universe, his place in the story is a huge question mark moving forward.
The Flash will debut in theaters on June 16, 2023. Black Adam is currently streaming on HBO Max.
