Superman. One of DC’s strongest and most powerful characters, full stop. An enduring presence in just about every type of media, from cartoons to comics to movies. And yet, Clark hasn’t had a solo film since 2013 and Warner Bros. has seemed content to disregard the fervent calls for actor Henry Cavill’s return as the character.
With Dwayne Johnson hyping up his new-to-the-DCEU character Black Adam, a being that will apparently bring a shift in the DC hierarchy of power, fans have been speculating left and right on whether or not Adam will duke it out with Superman.
Nothing concrete is known about any comeback for Cavill’s Man of Steel but many have theorized about him making a cameo appearance in Black Adam, due out in theaters soon. Johnson naturally had some thoughts on this.
Dwayne Johnson on the DCEU’s Superman
Speaking to Jake’s Takes on YouTube, Dwayne Johnson discussed the struggle to get Black Adam made as well as his character coming into conflict with Henry Cavill’s Superman. The actor also made very sure to mention his stance on WB’s handling of the character remarking that “the most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe has been on the sidelines for too long" in the DC Extended Universe:
“Jake, I could see things so clearly on how that scene looks like, what that scene looks like, what the film looks like, what the next three films look like. Now, whether or not that comes to fruition that always helps when you have that kind of clarity. But here’s what I do know: listening to the fans when I was wrestling always led and guided me, just like now. So for the past 10 years, as I was pushing Black Adam up this hill to get made for the past five, six, seven years, I was also listening to the fans at the same time, where you have Black Adam, we will create Black Adam for him to be the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. The most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe has been on the sidelines for too long.”
Indeed, it seems Johnson has thrown a bit of shade Warner Bros.’s way, as he commented on the fact that Superman hasn’t been seen on the big screen in five years, albeit in a fairly diplomatic way.
Dwayne Johnson also revealed that he wants Black Adam to strike first if/when he and Kal-El come to blows:
“I think Black Adam lands the first punch. Now, I don’t know if Black Adam lands the last punch, because Superman… I grew up a DC boy… I love Superman. I loved Superman and I still do. Clearly.”
Finally, the wrestler-turned-actor spoke on if he’d ever like to see Black Adam meet his end on screen in a movie:
“I wouldn’t like to see it right now, because there’s a lot more storytelling that we need to tell, and we should tell, that I think will be very beneficial for the fans out there and generations to come. But one day, I’m open to that. I mean, the ultimate sacrifice, sure, we’ll see. But I don’t see that happening now.”
Will Superman v. Black Adam Actually Happen?
A lot of fans are justifiably wondering if Cavill will reprise his role as Clark Kent and battle Black Adam.
Now, there have been rumors abound on this topic, and while, as mentioned above, there hasn’t been anything officially announced vis-à-vis a showdown between the two superpowered titans, it stands to reason that Johnson would have used his considerable pull to get Supes into his movie, as has been rumored.
It would certainly be a spectacle seeing the pair go head-to-head and such an event would get audiences buzzing big time.
But for now, fans still need to wait a bit longer to see if any of this pans out, as DC’s Black Adam opens in theaters on Friday, October 21.
