Dwayne Johnson Reportedly Nixed Shazam Cameo in ‘Black Adam’

The following put up comprises minor spoilers for Shazam! Fury of the Gods. 

There at the moment are three films starring Shazam and Black Adam, and the 2 characters have interacted onscreen a sum whole of zero occasions. Any longtime DC Comics reader will inform you: That does probably not make a lot sense.

Black Adam was created as a Shazam (or actually Captain Marvel) antagonist, and for many of his historical past, that’s primarily what he was. It’s solely in the final decade or two that the character’s position in the DC universe has expanded, changing into part of the Justice Society library of characters, and taking part in extra of an antihero position in varied DC storylines.

The unique plan for Shazam! was to have Black Adam because the villain of that film, however at a sure level after Dwayne Johnson was forged as Black Adam the choice was made to separate him off into his personal movie. Then Black Adam arrive in theaters final fall, and Shazam by no means confirmed up in it wherever, even in a cameo position. And vice versa is true of the brand new Shazam! Fury of the Gods. 

According to a brand new report in TheWrap, a number of the blame belongs to Dwayne Johnson himself; they declare that there was a plan in place for Shazam to seem in a cameo in the Black Adam post-credits scene, which might have seen “Shazam recruited by Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, and other costumed heroes, into the Justice Society of America.” Instead, Johnson had that concept nixed in order that he might convey in Henry Cavill to reprise his position as Superman, and arrange a possible Black Adam versus Superman film down the road.

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There is a post-credits scene on the finish of Fury of the Gods the place Shazam is recruited into the Justice Society, however slightly than characteristic Hawkman or different members of the Justice Society, it stars actors from the Peacemaker TV collection.

TheWrap claims Johnson’s strikes behind the scenes “kneecapped” Shazam!, however even when all of their reporting is one hundred pc correct, Fury of the Gods has a lot larger issues past the dearth of a Dwayne Johnson cameo. Maybe a Shazam look in Black Adam may need whetted the viewers’s urge for food for his personal film. But until Black Adam was going to point out up there as properly, what would have been the purpose? Heck, Fury of the Gods featured a Wonder Woman cameo that the film marketed in its TV adverts, and it didn’t assist its field workplace one bit. (Shazam! star Zachary Levi tweeted that the largest downside is the film’s advertising and marketing has not conveyed that it’s an important alternative for households don’t understand it’s an important household movie, though that’s debatable.) It appears extra correct to say that there’s loads of blame to unfold round for the present state of DC’s films.