Black Adam Dwayne Johnson star addressed if Warner Bros. is trying to start a war between the DCU and MCU.
Johnson made waves in the lead-up to his debut as DC's Adam Teth, pitting his character against nearly every super-powered force under the sun. From Superman to the Avengers, Johnson was not quiet when it came to picking his DC hero over some of the biggest and strongest of the genre.
But with Black Adam finally hitting theater screens, the actor has been asked a number of times if he and the DC brain trust are trying to start some beef against Marvel Studios. Johnson has remained adamant that the "answer is unequivocally no," but that has not stopped people from asking the Hollywood megastar.
And he has been prodded on the subject yet again, as Johnson is asked to pit the two franchises against one another.
Dwayne Johnson on a DC vs. Marvel War
Speaking on iHeartRadio's YouTube channel, Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson spoke on whether he sees the competition between the MCU and DCU as a war.
Broaching the subject, the actor said "there is no ‘war’ between DC and between MCU." Johnson told the interviewer "are we going after Marvel?... The answer is no:"
“Wow, that’s great tie-in, all that. Yeah, Monday Night Wars to this? But I see and understand what you’re saying. And I’ve been asked that question a lot. Are we going after... When I talk about this is the new era in the DC Universe with Black Adam, are we going after Marvel? Is that what I mean by that? The answer is no. We’re not going to do that and I and there is no ‘war’ between DC and between MCU. that’s my opinion."
The Black Adam star went on to describe the "groundwork for Black Adam for the JSA" that has been laid and the "new era of the DC Universe" his film has helped "usher in." But he doesn't "think there’s a war:"
"Now, that we have laid the groundwork for Black Adam for the JSA, as we usher in a new era of the DC Universe, build out the DC Universe, I don’t think there’s a war, because there’s only one Marvel that will always be only one Marvel."
He noted that he's buddies with "a lot of those [Marvel] guys," before remarking "there’s only one Marvel" like "there’s only one Black Adam, and there’s only one Justice League" and he "[doesn't] want to be like Marvel:"
"And I mean that respectfully. Kevin Feige, I love him. He’s a buddy and a lot of those guys, all of them, by the way, all those superheroes are all my friends and I’m very happy for them. But there’s only one Marvel. There’s only one Avengers. But also there’s only one DC. And there’s only one Black Adam, and there’s only one Justice League, and there’s only one JSA. And so, I want to continue to build out the DC world. I don’t want to be like Marvel, and I mean that respectfully. I want to be DC. I want us to be our own brand, and our own identity, and we’re proud of that."
Johnson said all this before commenting that "[he] would love one day for the two brands to converge," but thinks "that’s down the line:"
"Now, I would love one day for the two brands to converge, like we did in wrestling, because that’s how we think. Because ultimately, what will always guide my hand and will always be my North Star is taking care of the fans. So the fans, to me, if they speak loudly enough, because I’m all about listening to the fans with what we deliver, then we should work towards that. But… I think the key with brands converging the right way is to have the right people sitting at the table, having the right conversations. But that’s down the line. There’s only one Marvel. There will always be only one Marvel. But there’s only one DC too.”
Johnson has brought up the idea of these two universes meeting one day, saying in an interview from August that he is "optimistic" that the two will "cross paths one day."
And Dwayne Johnson isn't the only one at WB who has dreamt up a Marvel vs DC crossover. Long before the newly-appointed head of the DCU James Gunn was granted his current position, he teased a crossover of characters from The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy, both films directed by himself.
This comes in addition to the director-turned-studio executive telling fans in July 2021 that he "would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie:"
"I would really be happy to do a Harley Quinn and Groot movie, that would be exciting for me. Not only have I thought about that, but I've actually talked about that to the heads of both Marvel and DC. They know everybody's open to everything, but whether anything would ever happen, who knows?"
Will a DCU/MCU Crossover Ever Happen?
Another day, another interviewer asking Dwayne Johnson about his Marvel vs DC thoughts. There isn't much more the actor could possibly say in a situation like this. He remains as diplomatic as ever, complimenting the MCU while also showing his excitement for the future of the DCU.
What is more interesting is his mention of this 'converging' of these two brands. At this point, a DCU/MCU crossover event feels like a pipe dream. Why would Marvel Studios (who seem to be thriving) want to team up with WB (who have been floundering with their comic book universe) for a super-powered battle of the titans?
But a lot can change very quickly in this industry. While it might not happen in the next ten years, never say never. Who knows, with all the buying Disney has done over the last decade, it would not be all that shocking if a DC purchase were to happen by the House of Mouse somewhere down the line.
It might sound impossible, but crazier things have happened.
Black Adam can now be seen in theaters worldwide.
