For years, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson promised that Black Adam would shake up the DC movie landscape. But after a lackluster box office run, those grand ambitions fizzled out. DC has since shifted gears, moving away from the universe that once positioned WWE’s Final Boss as a central figure.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, DC Studios co-head James Gunn pulled back the curtain on why Johnson's plans never took off. Gunn revealed that by the time Johnson wanted a bigger creative role, the ship had already sailed.

“There were other people [Johnson] that had a take on what they wanted to do at DC and were trying to force their way,” Gunn explained. “And it just was never a part of the equation for David Zaslav, who was the head of WBD.”

The comment follows reports that a Black Adam sequel was quietly shelved, with the original’s underwhelming reception blamed for halting what was once expected to be Johnson’s long-term superhero run.

Still, DC’s future looks promising. The Batman (2022), starring Robert Pattinson, was a critical and commercial success. And with Gunn’s new Superman reboot gaining momentum, fans are hopeful that a more cohesive and compelling DC Universe is finally on the horizon.

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As for Johnson, Black Adam may have been his only shot at caped stardom, despite early plans for him to be a cornerstone of the DCU.