Last year, Dwayne Johnson's relationship with DC Studios was reported to have turned toxic, and although Johnson denied it at the time, recent developments now suggest otherwise.
In what has turned out to be a devastating box office weekend for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Johnson has been accused of being at fault by Hollywood insiders.
According to The Wrap, insiders claim that Johnson worked publicly to undermine the Shazam! sequel by attempting to orchestrate a showdown between Black Adam and Superman, rather than the more canonically accurate Shazam versus Black Adam rivalry.
In addition, Johnson was said to have privately "vetoed a planned post-credits scene in Black Adam," which would have featured Shazam being recruited by Hawkman into the Justice Society of America. Furthermore, he also allegedly had to step in to ensure the JSA didn't appear in Shazam! 2, forcing Peter Safran to use lesser-known Peacemaker characters. Shazam 2 director David Sandberg confirmed this in his response to a Twitter user.
...It was supposed to be other characters but that fell apart at the last minute so Peter Safran (also produced Peacemaker) pulled some favors. As a fan I was happy to have them in the movie (even though it’s perhaps a bit weird that they’re the ones recruiting for JS).
Despite the claims that Johnson tried to take control of DC, it's unlikely he's the only one responsible for the disastrous box office performance of Shazam! 2. Things at Warner Bros. Discovery have been rather tumultuous, to say the least, following the appointment of James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new CEOs and the rebranding of DC Studios.
The recent decision by James Gunn to sever ties with Henry Cavill as Superman has been met with criticism from fans. Not to mention, Jason Momoa, who plays Aquaman, has also found himself potentially facing a similar fate, and it now seems that no actor is safe under the new DC Studios leadership.
It's safe to assume that Shazam! Fury of the Gods will go down as one of the poorest-performing superhero films, which means Gunn and Safran will be banking on The Flash to be a game-changer for them. Directed by Andy Muschietti, the upcoming film is set to make its global premiere at CinemaCon on April 25 and has reportedly received high scores from test screenings, as well as praise from Tom Cruise.
