Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Headed For Box Office Disaster
Early tracking suggests Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam won't come close to the numbers enjoyed by this year's Marvel blockbusters.
This article is more than 2 years old
Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam movie for Warner Bros. Discovery and DC may not be getting the box office return it hoped for. Early tracking models show that the upcoming DC flick is expected to open somewhere between the $55 to $70 million range and gross a domestic total of roughly $135 to $175 million. While these numbers aren’t terrible, they paint a somewhat disappointing picture for the folks at Warner Bros. Discovery.
The early tracking numbers are comparable to another Dwayne Johnson action flick Hobbs & Shaw. The Fast and Furious spin-off is Johnson’s best debut to date with $60 million, outside the main Fast and Furious films for Universal Pictures. The number was impressive, considering the spin-off didn’t include any of the franchise’s main cast.
However, Black Adam is trailing largely behind other comic-book films that came out this year. Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness scored significantly higher box office openings with $144 and $187 million, respectively. The Dwayne Johnson-led superhero flick must make over three times its projected number for it to match or surpass Marvel’s two big 2022 theatrical outings.
One thing that Dwayne Johnson may have up his sleeve is the appearance of Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman. Last November, it was reported that the Man of Steel actor had possibly signed to cameo in Black Adam. Then a few months ago, we reported through our most trusted and proven sources that Superman would appear in a post-credit tease.
However, there’s a caveat. We reported that the folks at Warner Bros. were not too thrilled with Cavill and decided to use a body double rather than the British actor. We were told that the post-credit scene involved Suicide Squad’s Amanda Waller warning Superman about the threat that is Black Adam. It should be noted that neither Warner Bros nor Dwayne Johnson himself has confirmed our or anyone else’s reports.
There is some evidence that supports all of these rumors. Dwayne Johnson and Henry Cavill have the same manager, Dani Garcia. Johnson also has teased the appearance of Superman in Black Adam on multiple occasions, including having the two powerful beings meet in the end credits scene of the animated film DC Super Pets. It goes without saying that Johnson wants fans to see this potential big clash happen on the big screen.
Dwyane Johnson has undoubtedly done a lot to promote and protect his movie. During an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor revealed that he fought to have Black Adam debut in his own film rather than in 2019’s Shazam! Black Adam and Shazam have famously battled in the comics.
Whether or not Dwayne Johnson made the right call to keep Black Adam away from Shazam remains to be seen. He recently pitched for spin-off movies within the Black Adam universe. While it sounds good on paper, the early box office numbers suggest that it may not perform as well as previous DC projects.
The trailer for Black Adam does look impressive, so perhaps the film may surpass expectations. Dwayne Johnson is also one of the most recognizable entertainers on the planet. If there’s anyone who could rise above expectations and deliver an over $100 million opening weekend for Warner Bros., it’s The Rock.
