Dwayne Johnson went his separate ways from DC and Warner Bros. Discovery since the release ofBlack Adam, but that has not stopped the actor from being thrown under the bus for the recent release ofShazam: Fury of the Gods.Despite speculation that the Johnson DC film would lose money for Warner Bros. Discovery,Black Adammay have turned a profit. However, this remains disputed when factoring in costs, marketing, and how much the studio received from the film’s box office gross. Even so, new information suggests thatShazam 2might have performed better if Johnson hadn’t vetoed plans for the film.RELATED:Black Adam Editors Didn’t Know About Henry Cavill’s Superman Cameo Until Late In The GameThe Wrapreported on insider claims that Johnson was a handful for Warner Bros. and that he is to blame for the box officefailure ofShazam: Fury of the Gods. Reports suggest that the actor “vetoed ideas that would have seen Zachary Levi’s Shazam cameo in a post-credits scene forBlack Adam." While the scene would have linkedBlack AdamandShazam 2, Johnson reportedly didn’t want any big superheroes showing up that weren’t Black Adam or Superman. According to “high-level Hollywood insiders,” Johnson also nixed the Justice Society of America from appearing inShazam 2’s post-credits scene, forcing Safran’s hand to resort to lower-tierPeacemakercharacters. This comes directly afterShazam 2director David Sandberg said Safran decided to have thePeacemakercharacters inShazam 2after plans for other characters appearing fell apart “at the last minute.”
The timing of these insider claims is interesting, especially if James Gunn and Peter Safran wanted to shift blame in an attempt to deflect from the responsibility of theShazamsequel’s failure, even though their involvement was limited, considering it was developed and filmed before they were appointed co-CEOs of DC Studios. However, it was reported that Johnson had to go behind certain executives for theBlack AdamHenry Cavill Superman cameo, so it is hard to imagine that the actor had so much power that he could control what characters appeared in other DC movies. Regardless, if the insiders are correct, throwing its talent under the bus reflects toxic leadership on Warner Bros. Discovery, especially when its dirty laundry has been aired publicly.
Former studio executive Walter Hamada was happy to go along with Johnson’s campaign to center the DC universe around himself as long as it benefited the company. Now Johnson is no longer at Warner Bros. Regardless of Johnson’s alleged actions, there are several other reasons whyShazam! Fury of the Godsdid not do well, includingJames Gunn announcing his DC slateamid upcoming DCEU films, minimal marketing, and less-than-stellar reviews.
