Amidst the controversy and uncertainty surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery, the next chapter of whatever the DCEU is, was, or will be arrives on October 21 with Black Adam.
Starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Black Adam is an anti-hero film that follows Teth-Adam's return to the modern world where he stands in stark contrast to the universe's other heroes, particularly the Justice Society of America.
Throughout the film's promotional campaign, Johnson has been front and center in building the hype for Black Adam.
And now, it appears that Warner Bros. has been particularly painstakingly in its promotion of Black Adam as well.
Warner Bros. Scrubs Black Adam Crewman from Set Photo
Reddit user u/BatmanNewsChris has pointed out that Warner Bros. digitally removed a Black Adam crew member from a behind-the-scenes photo featuring Dwayne Johnson and director Jaume Collet-Serra.
In the photo, which was first shown in June of this year, a crewman wearing a white shirt, glasses, and a black facial covering can be seen just over Collet-Serra's shoulder.
However, when the photo was used in July for a Deadline article, the crewman had disappeared.
This isn't the first time a studio has digitally scrubbed a crew member who was mistakenly included in a shot.
During Season 2 of The Mandalorian, a crewmember wearing a t-shirt and jeans was spotted in an action scene.
After viewers made note of the mistake, the individual was later removed from the shot.
A similar situation occurred twice throughout the run of Moon Knight on Disney+.
Why Did Black Adam's Crewman Get Erased?
While both Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios have digitally erased mistakes from their streaming shows, doing the same for a photo is different, especially since it was taken behind the scenes where a crewmember should be.
Even though the photo's use for marketing is probably why the individual was removed, it still seems a bit unnecessary and excessive, especially since the crewman's presence didn't take away from the focus of the photo.
The fact that this decision was made, however, may be another example of how important Black Adam is to the studio.
After all, Dwayne Johnson is one of the industry's most influential stars and knows how to deliver at the box office.
And, given the year Warner Bros. has had thus far, there's no denying that the studio needs a win.
It's also worth noting that the change in the photo took place between June and July. Not only was that mere weeks after the Discovery merger, but also around the time of San Diego Comic-Con and the peak of the Ezra Miller controversy.
It will be interesting to see how Warner Bros. handles the final marketing push for Black Adam ahead of its theatrical debut, and if its pursuit of perfection pays off.
Black Adam arrives in theaters on October 21.
