Black Adam’s post-credits scene had a major fight with WB, says The Rock

“The power hierarchy in the DC Universe is going to change,” proclaimed Dwayne Johnson early in the hype cycle for Black Adam. And between battles with the Justice Society of America and mysteries about the DC hero’s own origins, he wasn’t entirely wrong. But as the film’s post-credits scene shows, the power hierarchy in the DC Universe held up by Superman, Batman, The Flash, Aquaman and Wonder Woman hasn’t completely changed – which is fine with Johnson. He fought tooth and nail to ensure DC’s modern universe lived up to its claim before slamming it into a wall.

[Ed. note: This post contains ending and post-credits scene spoilers for Black Adam.]

in the Black AdamIn the Viola Davis credits scene, Amanda Waller from Viola Davis Black Adam appears in Kahndaq’s old throne room via a drone-mounted hologram to tell him that she expects him to stay in Kahndaq, or else the hero of Kahndaq replies that there is no one on earth who can stand up to him, so why should we listen to him? Waller snaps back: She knows people who aren’t from Earth at all.

Cue the arrival of Superman, played by Henry Cavill himself, in the big blue suit for the first time since 2017 justice league (unless you count new footage shot for 2021 Zack Snyder’s Justice League). He politely tells Black Adam that it’s been a while since anyone has made the world as nervous as he has, capping the whole scene simply and endlessly: “We should talk.”

While the scene should have fans dizzy about the possibilities of Cavill returning to the role – and recent news suggests that a man of steel 2 might finally be in the works — the reemergence of the Big Blue Boy Scout wasn’t a mandate for Johnson and his Black Adam creative team. This was a fan who got his wish.

“For a long time, it bothered me that millions of people were vocal and thoughtful and asking questions and nobody answered the questions,” Johnson says of Superman’s insomnia. “Even though you had answers that people might not like, what always bugged me was… Well then, speak up! Somebody steps up and talks to the fans, talks to the people, tells them what the plans are. And not only that […] But what bothered us was that you have a guy who’s a great Superman and a beloved Superman, a guy who loves mythology and knows the character as well as Henry Superman does, and on top of that, fans are the most important thing I love him as Superman… He’s been on the sidelines for five years and nobody talks about it!”

Johnson has spent almost 20 years getting the Black Adam film rolling, but when the current iteration of the project took shape five years ago, his star insisted the action flow into the larger DC Universe — even as Warner Bros. Pictures began to shy away from introducing the expanded “Snyderverse” that was being established by Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice Director Zack Snyder.

This led to some conflicts. Not only did Johnson want to introduce Black Adam and the Justice Society of America in one bulky debut, he also pushed for bringing Cavill back as Superman. According to a recent report, that meant bypassing DC Films head Walter Hamada, who squashed the idea, and going straight to WB bosses Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who warmed to it.

“First of all [the new introductions], we said, “Let’s get the most powerful and unstoppable force in the entire universe that’s been on the sidelines for five years. Let’s go and fight hard to put him back into the DC Universe Black Adam.’ And this fight? we fought On our side at Seven Bucks, we fought a long time; We would not take no for an answer.”

And they didn’t: Eventually, Warner Bros. approved Cavill to star in the film, and the scene was reportedly not filmed until last September.

Does the post-credits scene represent an actual change in the power hierarchy in the DC Universe? That may depend on how well Black Adam hits the box office on its opening weekend and what Warner Bros. looks like over the next few months. Hamada is set to step down from his position at DC soon, and rumors suggest De Luca will have a bigger role in the development and expansion of the comic universe. Cavill could be back in a man of steel 2, while Ta-Nehisi Coates and JJ Abrams work on another Superman project planned to star a black actor. There are also The Lightning‘s multiversal shattering and in-motion plans for a direct sequel. That’s on top aquaman 2scheduled for release in 2023 and the one under development wonder woman 3. There is also The Batman2 and Joker: Folie a Deuxproving that the universe is big enough for double heroes.

Black Adam ends with Superman returning and the words “Let’s talk”. And it’s all talk until someone asks Cavill to actually gear up for scenes that play out before the credits roll.