Dwayne Johnson Tests His Patent Viagra Reputation With Black Adam – The Hollywood Reporter

The cast in 2015 Saturday Night Live shouted Dwayne Johnson being franchise viagra during the actor’s opening monologue. Seven years later, $142.9 million world debut for Black Adam suggests that A Transition time for DCJohnson is indeed the boost that Warner Bros. needs. A comic brand owned by Discovery.

Even if Black Adam won’t reach the $1 billion box office heights Aquaman, and even if it falls short of the artistic triumphs of James Gunn and Matt Reeves’ DC ventures, Johnson gives DC a chance to expand its reach beyond its core fan base. Not everyone knows Black Adam or the Justice Society, but they all know The Rock.

Ever the salesman, the wrestler turned actor, producer and entrepreneur has always excelled at selling one thing: himself. While his presence hasn’t always led to the billion-dollar box office blockbusters that Hollywood studios are after, Johnson’s addition has resulted in a string of solid hits and only a handful of misses thanks to his global appeal.

Many of the franchises he joined were taken with his face on the poster, including Mummy, The Fast and the Furious and: Jumanji. Even GI Joe. Revenge, something of a no-brainer, grossed $375.7 million worldwide, more than the first installment. The same applies Journey 2: Mysterious Island, which preceded its predecessor directed by Brendan Fraser. And what about individual projects? San Andreas (2015) and Fury (2018) both crossed $400 million worldwide. Plus, her team-up with Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot Red alert (2021) has become Netflix’s most streamed movie, according to the service.

There’s also a likability factor with Johnson. He’s a positive face for the DC franchise, which is currently beset by legal drama and star reluctance; see Henry Cavill until recently – commit to this universe long-term. Johnson recent comments About not wanting to chase Marvel but push DC to do their own thing was the perfect capsule of optimism for fans, even if the WBD suits certainly have one jealous eye pointing Marvel Studios’ way.

According to sources available to the survey, 43 percent of moviegoers told analytics firm PostTrack that Johnson was the main reason they went to see it. Black Adamwhile 40 percent went because of the genre.

So it’s out Black Adam sequel, what might Johnson’s presence add to the DC Extended Universe? a Black Adam vs. Superman The film seems too simplistic to entertain, and even Johnson questioned the idea that would soon be released (after it was released to the press). It’s possible that Black Adam could join the Justice League, as he did in a recent comic by writer Brian Michael Bendis. But with the Justice Society being introduced and being one of the film’s strongest elements, it seems more likely that we’ll see Black Adam continue to befriend their growing roster, even if he doesn’t want to officially join them.

If the third Shazam! movie will take place, perhaps audiences will get the long-awaited and delayed showdown between Adam and Shazam. that originally the foundation has been laid before the first film was rewritten.

But Johnson seems to be focused on making the Black Adam roster and not just Shazam’s antagonist. family Johnson certainly has plenty of A-list friends and gravitates toward Hollywood (who else might?). convince Emily Blunt will star Jungle cruise?) and the new management at Warners seems to be specifically focused on the star power that justifies theatrical distribution alone.

So what’s the rock-sized draw of A-listers in the DCEU? Perhaps a Justice League/Justice Society movie that sees the two superteams at odds and then unite against a common threat. Maybe that threat could even be Darkseid if Warners doesn’t want to erase what they’ve already created over the years.

For the audience, there is a comforting consistency that comes from watching Johnson’s film. It is Black Adam the most original superhero movie. No. Does it stem from stories you’ve seen before? Yes! Black Adam not risky, but maybe that’s what the DCEU needs right now.

There’s a reason why the movie is like this Avatar:, which no one claims is a very original story, is the greatest film of all time because it successfully combines spectacle with familiarity and themes that, while familiar, cross boundaries. In principle, Black Adam manages to do the same thing, and while most critics didn’t give the film much attention, there’s something to be said for its international numbers. Those numbers are especially telling in places like Latin America and Southeast Asia, where audiences and critics don’t seem to be as concerned about originality as we are here in the States.

None of this means that Black Adam excels in every field. There are some nagging exposition and pacing issues, but it’s fun and entertaining, and yes, going back to the history of blockbuster movies, sometimes that’s enough. Against all the critical complaints about the lack of risk and general world-building, I would argue that Black Adam We have seen very few superhero movies. it depicts super-powered individuals coming to do their brand of justice in foreign lands as invaders.

how Black Adam Tells Hawkman in a scene where he tries to save the kidnapped boy in his own way. “He is not your son and this is not your country.” Johnson manages to successfully shrug off any attempt to ground Adam as a generic hero, and instead comes across as someone who, while not quite accurate to the comic book portrayal, feels disconnected from the fabric of pulp heroes that inspired superheroes. With many of Johnson’s screen roles.

One of the biggest surprises Black Adam how pro-insurgency? It challenges the line between good and evil, asking the viewer to look at who draws that line. And not only that, the film takes issue with the Justice Society for the team’s 75-year absence from the Trench and the country’s continued oppression. In the wake of former comedian Alan Moore’s recent comments about superhero movies the prerequisites of fascismI couldn’t help but notice how anti-fascist it is Black Adam is.

And now, Dwayne Johnson, the People’s Champion as he was known in the wrestling world, has naturally moved on to become the Kahndaq Champion, and maybe just the DCEU Champion, as Black Adam.

How Johnson reimagines Black Adam from Shazam. The antagonist of Superman’s adversary, while also using Black Adam to tie together the various threads of the DCEU; Suicide Squad to Zack Snyder’s Justice LeagueWhen introducing Justice Society, one can’t help but wonder if the second biggest tool in Warners’ utility belt after Batman is Dwayne Johnson.

— Pamela McClintock contributed reporting.