Before Black Adam came out last year, tequila shill Dwayne Johnson promised it would change the hierarchy of power in the DC universe — and it did, though not in his favor. Some believe it could have been a hit if only things had gone differently, and, again, fans of the franchise are debating online just what needed some course correcting.
As of this story’s filing, responses to the above tweet and general sentiment on the social networking site are all over the place. One says the budget was too high for a very unknown character, another suggests superhero fatigue is finally setting in in the broader film industry and, for a different critic, the Rock did not try hard enough to differentiate his role here from prior work.
Elsewhere in the discourse, Twitter users are joking the release failed because they did not see it. Some also say the release failed because Dwayne Johnson, due to his ego, did not allow the project to connect with Shazam! where it originates and, for another, there is no single reason and to suggest so is difficult when there are a variety of complex factors at play whenever something comes out.
Whatever the case, audiences should not count on seeing Johnson return and, given Levi’s recent online posts where he reveals a number of behind-the-scenes production secrets and dramatic tensions between different people’s camps, him either. The original two Shazam! films will always exist alongside the estranged Black Adam and, they are available to stream on HBO Max, for now.