Why BLACK ADAM should excite you for the future of DC movies 
 

It's no secret that Warner Bros’ ‘DCEU’ or DC EXTENDED UNIVERSE as it was once known has had a shaky and uneven lifespan, starting with its very beginning in 2013’s MAN OF STEEL.  

Gone was the charming approachability and bright colours of the Christopher Reeve & Brandon Routh cinematic iterations; instead, MAN OF STEEL centered around a brooding, dark and alienated SUPERMAN burdened by the call to action to help. English actor Henry Cavill eventually came onboard to play this new stoic, gruff & edgy take on the character. This more adult approach seemed like the perfect counterpoint to the already thriving Marvel Cinematic Universe, which featured more comic-inspired and colorful costumes, a playful family friendly tone and a focus on keeping things light and fun. An approach that many claim has become ‘the Marvel formula’. MAN OF STEEL was Produced by Hollywood megastar Christopher Nolan, fresh off his masterful Dark Knight Trilogy. He had hand-picked Director Zack Snyder to helm the project. In 2013 after a long marketing campaign, the film released to a somewhat successful box office take, but critics and fans alike didn’t quite seem to respond to such a left field characterization to the blue boy scout. ‘Divisive’ was the word used a lot over the years. Mostly coming down to a lack of approachability & the odd decision to have SUPERMANkill the villain in brutal and violent fashion at the films end. Decisions made with MAN OF STEEL early on would weigh down and reflect the required course correction for many years to come.  

What followed MAN OF STEEL was a string of critical and financial shortcomings, behind the scenes drama, out of universe reboots, TV shows that outshone their big screen counterparts, streaming versions that outshone their theatrical versions, cancelled films & numerous restructures and corporate mergers. Aside from a massive financial hit with AQUAMAN in 2018 and a few critical bright spots in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and the PEACEMAKER tv series it seemed like the ‘DCEU’ was destined for reboot territory. Weighed down by the original tone of MAN OF STEEL, the whole thing felt a bit too niche and without any real direction. 

Enter Dwayne Johnson & ‘BLACK ADAM’. 

‘The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change’. The Rock’s promise during every single moment of marketing for this year’s BLACK ADAM carried more weight than general audiences may know. First cast as the character WAY back in 2007, The Rock has been a big-time player in Hollywood for many years. So it’ll likely come as surprise to many to hear that Dwayne and his BLACK ADAM Producers were repeatedly shot down when trying to tee up a SUPERMAN cameo. Many years, many meetings, many failed pitches and eventually a sidestep on a powerful executive later; Dwayne got his wish. The promise of a BLACK ADAM vs SUPERMAN movie was now officially on the cards, with the films credit scene doubling down on the potential cinematic return of SUPERMAN after 5 years off... but not just SUPERMAN; a retooled and more comic accurate version (albeit still played by Henry Cavill), complete with the spit curl and iconic John Williams’ theme. With the reintroduction of a more accurate iteration of DC’s most famous hero; the promise of a brighter & better DC cinematic universe was now out in the world.

But why now? Just last week the news broke that after almost a decade into its run, the ‘DCEU’ is rebranding to officially become the “DCU”. With Director James Gunn and Producer Peter Saffron just announced as Co-CEO/Co-Chairman of the newly minted DC STUDIOS over at Warner Bros. Discovery. Quickly thereafter, Henry Cavill was confirmed to be returning to the role for a new film while openly professing his eagerness and excitement to portray an ‘enormously joyful Superman’. BLACK ADAM as it stands, is a new starting point for DCU. It is colorful, it's funny, it leans right into the ridiculousness of it all with no shame or embarrassment of its roots, and while perhaps not as masterfully put together or as groundbreaking as this year's superb THE BATMAN (which is confirmed to be a standalone project that will also be expanded on by Director Matt Reeves) it’s a HUGE step in the right Direction, working both as a sort of tonal reboot and a first step toward building out a bigger and more welcoming DC brand for everyone. 

Buy DC Movies here

Ryan Unicomb wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Ryan here