Credit: Man of Steel
Oh, how the tables have turned. In a manner of months, Black Adam was the odd sheep of the DC Universe, and it wasn’t exactly a hot commodity that fans were clamoring for. Granted, fans of the original comic were surely interested in seeing the anti-hero finally coming to life on the big screen, but the trailers didn’t exactly wow audiences despite Dwayne Johnson’s efforts to promote the film.
Then, it was confirmed that Henry Cavill’s Superman would make a cameo in the new DC film. By now, audiences know that Cavill will play an important role in a post-credits scene of Black Adam. Plus, Dwayne Johnson has made it no secret that he wants a Black Adam vs. Superman movie down the line. Of course, that all depends on the box office numbers of the latest DC film.
Currently, projections for Black Adam track the film to make at least $135 million worldwide, with the domestic total being around $60 million. That number actually went down from the original domestic tracking of $65 – $70 million once the Rotten Tomatoes reviews poured in. Currently, Black Adam isn’t sitting pretty, with 42% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The fan votes have a strong 88% on the website, which is an important difference maker. The thing that Black Adam needs to succeed is strong word-of-mouth. If audiences love the film, then obviously, they’ll spread the good news and come back to see the DC movie again. However, if fans ultimately agree with critics, then Black Adam could take a huge tumble in the second weekend like Batman vs. Superman did following its massive $166.1 debut back in March 2016.
Credit: Man of Steel
This brings us back to the report of Warner Brothers Discovery being keen on developing a Man of Steel 2. Originally, the first Zack Snyder film did extremely well at the box office by making $668 million worldwide. While critics weren’t exactly the biggest fans of the movie, fans loved Cavill and Snyder’s vision and hoped for more in a sequel.
However, DC fast-tracked into the Justice League, and the studio’s trouble began with Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Following the failure of Joss Whedon’s Justice League, Henry Cavill’s time as Clark Kent seemed to be coming to an end. In fact, Dwayne Johnson revealed in an interview recently that the old regime didn’t want Cavill back at all:
“I feel that this serves not only Black Adam but it serves the larger DC Universe. But more importantly than that, it takes care of the fans. And that’s what you want your lead foot to be. So, yes, phone calls, meetings…But, man this was years man. Six years to get that done. I’m going to say that again, six years we first started about this and they kept saying no. Now, that leadership isn’t there anymore and we usher in a new era of the DC Universe.”
Credit: Man of Steel
There’s no word on if WB Discovery is deep in the pre-production phase of Man of Steel 2, though THR claims that the studio has an “intense desire” to do the solo project. In fact, rumors have it that they’re currently on the search for writers for the sequel. James Gunn is secretly working on a DC movie, could that end up being Man of Steel 2? Though The Suicide Squad bombed in theaters, the film was well-liked by critics and the fans who watched it.
Plus, Gunn was able to redeem himself thanks to the success of Peacemaker. It all depends on how well Black Adam does in its theatrical run. Granted, the reports never state that the success or failure of the Dwayne Johnson movie will determine if Man of Steel 2 will be greenlit, but bringing back Henry Cavill’s Superman was supposed to generate excitement and buzz for Black Adam. If the film ultimately bombs at the box office, then it doesn’t look too promising for Man of Steel 2, though hopefully, the latter part remains pure speculation.
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